This article is also available in Italian / Questo articolo è disponibile anche in italiano

In 2022, according to Eurostat data, 36.1 kg of plastic packaging waste per capita was generated in the European Union, of which 14.7 kg were recycled. Compared to 2012, the amount of waste increased by 7.6 kg per person, while the recycled portion increased by 4 kg. These numbers show how important it is to manage this type of packaging in a circular way, since it represents one of the main uses of plastic materials, with a share of 39%, down slightly from 40.5% in 2020.  

In this landscape, Italy has taken on a leading role: in 2022, the country recycled over 1,050,000 tonnes of plastic waste, a sharp uptick from the 228,000 tonnes recorded 25 years ago. This sustainable management is overseen by Corepla, the National Consortium for the Collection, Recycling, and Recovery of Plastic Packaging, which has brought together the companies in this sector since 1997.

From separate collection to recycling

Corepla ensures that the packaging for which it is responsible, derived from urban separate waste collection, is recycled correctly. The consortium undertakes the enhancement of this waste and delivers it to the firms who implement the recycling process, in accordance with market rules and ensuring fair access for all operators.

In particular, the collection stage is managed within the framework of conventions underwritten by the National Association of Italian Municipalities (Associazione Nazionale dei Comuni Italiani - ANCI) and the National Packaging Consortium (Consorzio Nazionale Imballaggi - CONAI) alongside local governments and waste management firms. Specific agreements and contracts stipulated directly by Corepla also come into play to manage the waste flows, on a smaller scale, deriving from the private sector and usually relating to commercial and industrial waste.

The comparison with other European countries

Over time, the number of municipalities covered by Corepla has increased exponentially, from 77% in 2022 to 99% today. Meanwhile, the number of consortium members has more than doubled, from 1,216 to approximately 2,500, including the producers of raw materials, packaging manufacturers, users that self-produce packaging, and recyclers.                                      

Furthermore, as concerns the rate of plastic packaging recycling, "Italy has cemented its place as one of the best-performing countries in Europe, as Eurostat has already confirmed," says Corepla President Giovanni Cassuti. In 2022, the top-ranked in Europe were Slovakia with 60% and Belgium with 54%, while Italy placed 5th with 46%, behind Germany and Slovenia, both with 51%. France's performance was less impressive, at 25%, on equal footing with Austria.

The importance of energy recovery

For plastic packaging, there is still the alternative option of energy recovery: "90% of everything that cannot yet be recycled is sent to cement works for energy production". In 2023, to be exact, 513,329 tonnes of waste followed this path, leading to the production of 40.3 GWh of electricity and 82.6 GWh of thermal energy.

Furthermore, thanks to recycling, Corepla estimates that 901,909 tonnes of CO2eq emissions were avoided, a figure that corresponds to the total emissions generated by 1,034 return flights between Rome and Tokyo. "This contribution is a major step forward towards a more sustainable economy that is less dependent on fossil fuels," adds Cassuti.

Raising awareness of circular culture

If, on the one hand, Corepla is contributing to the consolidation of an industrial model based on recovery and recycling, which in Europe has achieved significant results in terms of environmental sustainability, employment, and prosperity, on the other hand, the consortium is also one of the stakeholders that have contributed most to expanding people's awareness of circular culture.

Thanks in no small part to this outreach work, 22% of Italians now consider waste separation the most important behaviour to implement to respect the planet, while 15% see a vital need to reduce waste by reusing objects instead of throwing them away.

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