Municipal waste incineration volume in Italy 2013-2022
The amount of municipal waste incinerated in Italy amounted to approximately 5.31 million metric tons in 2022, down from some 5.41 million metric tons the previous year. Incineration is the process of treating waste through combustion, often to produce energy, which in turn is used to generate electricity and heat. This is commonly referred to as waste-to-energy.
Incineration of municipal waste in Italy
The number of incineration plants in Italy stood at 36 in 2022, the majority of which were located in the north of the country, in regions such as Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna. Meanwhile, there were just five incineration facilities across the central regions, and six in the south. That year, recovery of material, biological treatment of organic waste, and landfill disposal were the most common types of municipal waste treatment in Italy, followed by incineration.
Waste-to-energy and emissions
Between 2011 and 2022, the amount of energy generated from biomass and waste in Italy increased from 10.8 terawatt-hours to 17.4 terawatt-hours. On the other hand, the levels of annual greenhouse gas emissions from incineration have been falling over the last three decades.