Italian towns confront rising TARI waste tax and funding disputes

In Gravina, the municipal administration approved a roughly 30% increase in the local waste tax (TARI) for 2026 without prior consultation. The CGIL and CISL trade unions criticized the move as a heavy burden on households, especially during economic hardship, and demanded a meeting to review the decision and obtain data on recycling rates.

Meanwhile, Rimini’s council confirmed a TARI programme for the 2026‑2027 biennium, preserving exemptions for seniors, low‑income families and those affected by unemployment. The scheme foresees waste‑fee hikes of 3.86% in 2026 and 3.85% in 2027, but the municipality plans to offset these with €8 million recovered from tax‑evasion efforts. CISL Romagna, however, argued that the current application pool is too small and called for higher funding and raised income thresholds to better protect families strained by inflation.

Both cases illustrate the pressure on Italian local governments to balance fiscal needs with social protection as waste‑tax policies become increasingly contentious.