Material recovery accounted for the largest share of municipal solid waste treatment in Italy in 2022, at 29 percent. On the other hand, around 18 percent of municipal waste collected in the Mediterranean country was sent to landfill for disposal, and another 18 percent was incinerated.
Recycling in Italy
The recycling rate of municipal waste in Italy has been steadily increasing over the past decade, surpassing 53 percent in 2022. This was one of the highest recycling rates of municipal waste in the EU, and slightly above the average. The EU set a target of a 55 percent recycling rate of municipal waste by 2025, which Italy has almost reached.
Landfills in Italy
Although recycling has increased in Italy, landfilling is still a common waste disposal method. The volume of waste sent to landfills in Italy has decreased significantly in recent years, falling from 11.7 million metric tons in 2012 to some 4.6 million metric tons by 2023. These reductions coincide with the number of municipal waste landfill sites in Italy declining over the years.
Distribution of municipal solid waste treated in Italy in 2023, by method
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Sistema Nazionale per la Protezione dell'Ambiente. (December 18, 2024). Distribution of municipal solid waste treated in Italy in 2023, by method [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved January 08, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/682944/management-of-solid-urban-waste-in-italy-by-treatment/
Sistema Nazionale per la Protezione dell'Ambiente. "Distribution of municipal solid waste treated in Italy in 2023, by method." Chart. December 18, 2024. Statista. Accessed January 08, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/682944/management-of-solid-urban-waste-in-italy-by-treatment/
Sistema Nazionale per la Protezione dell'Ambiente. (2024). Distribution of municipal solid waste treated in Italy in 2023, by method. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: January 08, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/682944/management-of-solid-urban-waste-in-italy-by-treatment/
Sistema Nazionale per la Protezione dell'Ambiente. "Distribution of Municipal Solid Waste Treated in Italy in 2023, by Method." Statista, Statista Inc., 18 Dec 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/682944/management-of-solid-urban-waste-in-italy-by-treatment/
Sistema Nazionale per la Protezione dell'Ambiente, Distribution of municipal solid waste treated in Italy in 2023, by method Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/682944/management-of-solid-urban-waste-in-italy-by-treatment/ (last visited January 08, 2025)
Distribution of municipal solid waste treated in Italy in 2023, by method [Graph], Sistema Nazionale per la Protezione dell'Ambiente, December 18, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/682944/management-of-solid-urban-waste-in-italy-by-treatment/
