Italy's plastic recycling crisis threatens waste collection in Marche and Emilia‑Romagna

Plastic recyclers in Italy are confronting a deepening crisis as stored waste piles up and demand for recycled material collapses. In the province of Pesaro‑Urbino, Marche Multiservizi warned that saturated storage sites and cheap virgin plastic from Asian producers, especially China, are pushing the market for regenerated plastic to the brink. The company cautioned that without swift measures from Corepla, the Ministry of the Environment and regional authorities, facilities may stop accepting plastic collected through separate waste streams, forcing municipalities to curb collection.

In Emilia‑Romagna, the regional president and the environment assessor sent an urgent letter to the Environment Minister demanding emergency action. They highlighted soaring energy costs, reduced demand and unfair competition from low‑cost virgin polymers, which have already led to less frequent pickups, storage saturation and heightened fire risks. Both regions fear that, if the deadlock persists, plastic collected by households could be diverted to waste‑to‑energy plants, undermining years of recycling progress. Officials are calling for coordinated interventions to restore the viability of the recycling chain.