Recycling rate of plastic packaging waste in Italy 2013-2023

The recycling rate of plastic packaging in Italy stood at 48 percent in 2023, after peaking at over 50 percent three years earlier. The recycling rate was calculated as the share of material recycled out of the total amount of plastic packaging released for consumption.   

Plastic packaging recycling rates in the EU

Italy's plastic packaging recycling rate is above the European Union average, which stood at approximately 40 percent in recent years. Compared to the EU average, Italy is closer to the recycling rate targets for plastic packaging in the EU, set at 50 percent for 2025. 

Energy recovery from plastic packaging waste

Waste can also be incinerated to generate energy in the form of electricity and heat. The volume of plastic packaging collected for energy recovery in Italy amounted to 980,000 metric tons in 2023. This figure was smaller than the amount of plastic packaging waste recycled in Italy that year.