Italian waste recycling: data, initiatives, crisis

Timeline

1. 5 days ago

   [POLITICS] 5 sources

   Italy faces national plastic recycling crisis threatening waste collection

   Italy’s plastic recycling sector is in crisis, with plant overloads, cheap imports and fires prompting parliamentary calls for an industrial strategy to keep waste collection running.

2. 22 days ago

   [BUSINESS] 14 sources

   Italy's plastic recycling industry faces crisis as cheap virgin plastic floods market

   Italy's plastic recycling sector is collapsing under cheap virgin plastic imports, prompting industry pleas and regional officials to demand government action to restore the market.

3. 23 days ago

   [BUSINESS] 3 sources

   Sicily paper and cardboard recycling reaches 254,351 tonnes in 2025

   Sicily’s paper and cardboard collection rose 5.8% in 2025 to 254,351 tonnes, with Catania leading and Agrigento lagging; Comieco paid €15.8 million to 352 municipalities.

4. 26 days ago

   [POLITICS] 4 sources

   Basilicata Extends Deadline for Smart Bin Funding to Boost Waste Recycling

   Basilicata extends the Smart Bin grant deadline to 31 July, offering €3.5 million for RFID‑controlled waste bins to boost recycling and align with EU targets.

5. 29 days ago

   [POLITICS] 2 sources

   Sicily's Sortino Tops Recycling at 82% as Taormina Wins Waste Management Award

   Legambiente’s report ranks 37 Sicilian towns as eco‑leaders; Sortino hits 82.2% recycling, Siracusa stalls at 54%, and Taormina praised for paper waste management.

6. 30 days ago

   [BUSINESS] 2 sources

   Italian environmental projects win PIMBY Green awards in Milan

   At the PIMBY Green 2026 ceremony in Milan, Italy's Province of Caserta won for its landfill‑mining project, while the Consorzio Ponte Rosso‑Tagliamento received the award for a digitally monitored sustainable‑s

7. about 1 month ago

   [BUSINESS] 4 sources

   Italian municipalities expand recycling programs and honor top recyclers

   Rome held city‑wide recycling days on July 11‑12, while Fermo earned a national award for its PET‑bottle recycling system that collected about 1,400 kg by April 2026.

8. about 1 month ago

   [CULTURE] 2 sources

   Italian towns Saponara, Mazzarrà Sant’Andrea and Calvi dell'Umbria earn top recycling honors

   Saponara, Mazzarrà Sant’Andrea and Calvi dell’Umbria were named among Italy’s top ‘Comuni Ricicloni’, with recycling rates of 78‑85% and Calvi winning its eighth consecutive award.

9. about 1 month ago

   [POLITICS] 2 sources

   Italian towns Crotone and Saronno roll out new waste‑separation programmes

   Crotone launches door‑to‑door recycling in Parco Samà on 15 July, while Saronno starts AMSA‑led waste‑sorting inspections to inform residents and curb non‑compliant disposals.

10. about 1 month ago

    [POLITICS] 2 sources

    Italian towns Bacoli, Cremona win Legambiente sustainability awards

    Bacoli was named Italy’s 2026 ‘Comune Riciclone’ for its waste‑separation performance, while Cremona earned a Legambiente special mention for its green public‑procurement practices, both honours presented in R…

11. about 1 month ago

    [POLITICS] 4 sources

    Biella and Ascoli expand waste centre hours and launch smart bin system

    Italian towns Biella and Ascoli are extending waste centre hours and introducing smart bins, with Biella’s schedule changes effective July 2026 and Ascoli’s new system launching despite initial technical hic‑c‑

12. about 1 month ago

    [POLITICS] 6 sources

    Italian Municipalities Recognized by Legambiente for Recycling Excellence

    Legambiente honored Italian towns for top recycling performance, naming Polignano a Mare, Siderno and Taormina among the 2026 “Comuni Ricicloni” winners as the number of “Rifiuti Free” municipalities rose to  ‑

13. about 1 month ago

    [POLITICS] 4 sources

    Pescara waste piles spark health concerns and parking disputes

    Pescara's waste‑bin relocation has blocked disabled parking, while illegal dumping elsewhere creates health hazards, prompting calls for more staff, equipment and surveillance.

14. about 1 month ago

    [CRIME] 2 sources

    Alghero and Bari confront escalating urban waste and public disorder

    Alghero officials reported abandoned furniture and waste near historic sites, urging police patrols; Bari councillor Luca Bratta denounced a public defecation incident and chronic urban decay, calling for swift

15. about 1 month ago

    [POLITICS] 2 sources

    Alghero mayor urges new waste collection model after street trash bags

    Alghero officials condemned bags of trash dumped on a central street and called for a mixed waste‑collection system, citing limits of the current door‑to‑door model.

16. about 2 months ago

    [TECHNOLOGY] 2 sources

    Ascoli Piceno introduces citywide smart waste bin program

    From 2 July, Ascoli Piceno will use smart bins for dry non‑recyclable waste, opened with a health card or the APP4AP app, with different rules for larger and smaller condominiums, to improve recycling.

17. about 2 months ago

    [BUSINESS] 3 sources

    Italy resumes plastic packaging collection and launches aluminum capsule recycling in Brianza

    Italy's plastic packaging collection resumes after a brief emergency, while Brianza launches aluminum coffee capsule recycling, expanding waste recovery ahead of new EU rules.

18. about 2 months ago

    [CULTURE] 3 sources

    Italian cities revamp summer markets, launch beach ashtray programme

    Italian municipalities are reshaping summer markets to free up seafront space and improve safety, while AnconAmbiente launches a free ashtray distribution on local beaches to curb cigarette litter.

19. about 2 months ago

    [CULTURE] 2 sources

    Italy advises proper disposal of aluminum trays and other waste

    Italian officials warn against mis‑sorting aluminum trays and other waste, while San Giovanni Rotondo switches waste collection to SB Ecology with new schedules and free recycling bins.

20. about 2 months ago

    [POLITICS] 2 sources

    Pescara Residents Demand End to Door‑to‑Door Waste Collection

    Pescara residents, via Insieme per Pescara, urged the city to scrap the door‑to‑door waste collection system, citing health and livability issues and proposing smart bins and variable tariffs.

21. about 2 months ago

    [POLITICS] 2 sources

    Italian towns introduce free market waste bags and summer recycling schedule

    San Michele market in Sciacca will get free waste bags and a new organic‑waste bin, while Cisterna rolls out a summer recycling calendar with alternating glass and green‑waste pickup and adjusted collection day

22. about 2 months ago

    [POLITICS] 3 sources

    Siena activates sixth underground waste collection station

    Siena has opened its sixth underground waste collection point in Piazza Amendola, part of an eight‑site plan funded by €1 million from the EU’s PNRR, aiming to boost recycling efficiency and urban aesthetics.

23. about 2 months ago

    [POLITICS] 2 sources

    Italian towns expand waste collection services and launch recycling campaign

    Sciacca adds free bags and organic‑waste bins to its market, while Livorno's Aamps launches a recycling campaign, new guides for 85 000 homes and two collection centers funded by Tuscany.