Italy faces national plastic recycling crisis threatening waste collection

Deputy Patty L’Abbate of the Five Star Movement has tabled a parliamentary interrogation demanding urgent government action to address a growing crisis in Italy’s plastic recycling sector. She warns that plant saturation, competition from cheap Asian‑imported recycled plastics, and delays in implementing the End‑of‑Waste decree risk halting separate waste collection in several regions.

Industry groups and NGOs report that the shortage of processing capacity has already forced temporary suspensions of plastic collection in regions from Sardinia to Puglia, with storage limits being reached at many centres. Luca De Gaetano, founder of Plastic Free Onlus, describes the situation as a systemic pressure on the national waste‑management chain, calling for upstream reduction of packaging and stronger market support for recycled materials. The crisis is compounded by a series of fires at recycling facilities, some suspected to be deliberate, highlighting safety and environmental concerns.

Stakeholders urge the Ministry of the Environment to launch an industrial strategy, reinforce green public procurement, and promote eco‑design to curb plastic waste at the source.