Italy faces plastic recycling crisis as storage facilities reach capacity

Italy is facing a growing crisis in plastic recycling due to saturated storage facilities and industrial bottlenecks. In Sardinia, several municipalities, including Posada, Siniscola, and Gairo, have been forced to temporarily suspend plastic waste collection. The issue stems from the industrial recycling chain's inability to process collected materials, as the national consortium Corepla has slowed the removal of pressed plastic bales from collection centers. This situation has been exacerbated by the seasonal influx of summer tourists.

Similar pressures are being felt in the Macerata region, where the Cosmari plant is nearing full storage capacity. The crisis is driven by weak market demand for recycled plastic, high processing costs, and competition from cheaper virgin plastic from outside Europe. To prevent a total collapse of local waste collection, authorities are considering transporting excess material to waste-to-energy plants in Emilia-Romagna. However, this would incur significant transport costs that could ultimately impact local waste tax rates (Tari).