ISPRA “URBAN WASTE REPORT – 2022 EDITION”

The ISPRA Urban Waste Report 2022 has been published, providing data, updated to the year 2021, on the production and management of municipal waste at national and regional level.

The municipal waste data for 2021 are strongly influenced by the Covid-19 health emergency that marked the national socio-economic context. Below are the main points summarising the production, management and import/export of hazardous waste.

Production:

  • the total national value is 29.6 million tonnes (corresponding to +2.3% compared to 2020), with growth that is, however, lower than that of GDP (+6.7%) and household consumption (+5.3%)
  • The North records 14.2 million tonnes produced (+1.9% compared to 2020), while the Centre records 6.3 million tonnes (+2.5%) and the South stands at 9.1 million tonnes (+2.9%)
  • the national per capita production value is 502 kg/inhabitant/year, with the highest value recorded in Emilia-Romagna Region (641 kg/inhabitant/year) and the lowest in Basilicata Region (358 kg/inhabitant/year)

Separate waste collection:

  • the national value for 2021 is around 19 million tonnes (64% of national production, +1% compared to 2020), split as follows: North 71%, Centre 60.4%, South 55.7%
  • the product fraction that contributes most to achieving the level of separate collection is organic waste (39%), followed by paper and cardboard (19.1%), glass (11.9%) and plastic (8.8%, +6.4% compared to 2020)

Management:

  • waste sent to material recovery is 50% of the total collected through separate collection, while the recycling rate is 48.1% (EU targets: 55% by 2025 and 65% by 2035)
  • 657 management plants are active at national level, of which 356 for OFMSW, 124 MT/MBT, 37 incineration plants + 14 co-incineration plants, 126 landfills
  • landfilling accounts for 5.6 million tonnes (or 19% of the total produced), a reduction of 3.4% compared to 2020
  • waste sent to incineration/energy recovery is 5.4 million tonnes (18.3% of total produced), an increase of 1.6% compared to 2020

Import/Export:

  • 659,000 tonnes are exported, of which 26.3% is waste from mechanical treatment plants and destined to Spain, Portugal, Germany; 23.9% is CSS with destination Cyprus, Portugal and Austria
  • 219,000 tonnes of waste are imported (29.3% glass from Switzerland, 14.8% oils and fats, 14.8% clothing, 14% metals, 13% plastics from France)

Management costs:

  • the national average cost is 194.5 €/inhabitant/year (+4.5% compared to 2020, broken down as follows: North 174.6 €/inhabitant/year, Centre 230.7 €/inhabitant/year, South 202.3 €/inhabitant/year)

Read more on ISPRA website.