In 2024, 10.7 million tonnes of packaging were given a second life: this was announced by CONAI in its new General report. President Ignazio Capuano stated: “A result that demonstrates the strength of the Italian model, which is now called upon to do even more to design and use packaging that is increasingly reusable, recyclable and recycled.”
When the recycling figures are combined with those for energy recovery, the total recovered packaging exceeds 86%. General manager Simona Fontana commented: “Less than 15% of end-of-life packaging is still not recovered in our country. And since packaging accounts for 8% of total waste, this share is truly marginal. Today it is essential to invest in strengthening separate waste collection and fostering a circular culture.”
Almost 7,400 Italian municipalities have entered into agreements with the CONAI system. Deputy General manager Fabio Costarella added: “Proximity to the local area is essential for the success of separate collection aimed at recycling: only cooperation between all the actors involved can enable us to build an effective waste management system for the whole country.”
Milan, June 25, 2025 – In 2024, Italy recycled 76.7% of the packaging placed on the market – around 10.7 million tonnes out of a total of over 13.95 million tonnes. This marks an increase of about one percentage point compared to 2023, when the amount of recycled packaging was just under 10.5 million tonnes.
There was also a slight rise in the quantity of reusable packaging in 2024. Since 2012, CONAI has promoted incentives and simplifications to encourage the use of packaging designed to last over time. Last year, over 1.24 million tonnes of reusable packaging were formally declared to the Consortium, up by more than 20,000 tonnes compared to 2023.
This is the picture that, as every year, CONAI provides of packaging management in the country with the publication of its General report.
“The figures tell the story of an efficient system that has been able to consolidate over time a network of collaboration between businesses, institutions and citizens,” commented Ignazio Capuano, president of CONAI. “Exceeding 76% packaging recycling is an important achievement, the result of teamwork, especially if we consider that Europe is asking us to reach 70% by 2030. But we cannot stop here. Ahead of us lie complex challenges, such as those linked to the SUP Directive and the implementation of the European Regulation on packaging and packaging waste. And of course, we must continue working with companies to further spread good practices in eco-design – it is essential
that we continue to support our industrial sector so that it designs and uses packaging that is ever more sustainable and has a lower environmental impact. But I also have another hope: that more and more material supply chains will become part of solid and well-organised circular economy flows, not just those of packaging.”
Looking at the details, more than 435,500 tonnes of steel were given a second life in Italy; 62,400 tonnes of aluminium; 4.605 million tonnes of paper and cardboard; 2.314 million tonnes of wood; 1.131 million tonnes of conventional plastic and 47,500 tonnes of compostable bioplastic – for a total of 1.179 million tonnes; and almost 2.103 million tonnes of glass. Among the most significant advances was that of the plastics sector – in 2024 it finally managed to exceed the 50% recycling target set by the European Union for 2025.
Adding the figures for energy recovery to those for recycling, the total amount of end-of-life packaging recovered exceeds 12 million tonnes: 86.4% of the packaging placed on the market.
“Less than 15% of end-of-life packaging is still not recovered in our country,” explained Simona Fontana, General manager of CONAI. “Considering that packaging accounts for around 8% of the total waste produced in Italy, this is a truly marginal share. There is still much to be done, however. The plastics sector’s achievement of over 50% recycling – thus joining all other materials in reaching 2025 targets ahead of schedule – is an encouraging milestone, but it cannot be seen as a final goal. It is vital to continue investing in strengthening separate waste collection and in creating an increasingly widespread circular economy culture: more than half of the recycled packaging, after all, comes from urban collections, thanks to citizens’ collaboration. Another tool that needs strengthening is differentiated contributions: by applying environmental fees based on the recyclability of plastic and paper packaging, since 2018 we have more than halved the presence of non-recyclable packaging on the market. This is why, from July this year, we have made the system for paper-based composites more incisive, linking the fee to certified actual recyclability.”
This is a scenario in which the work done with municipalities continues to play an important role, through the National Agreement with ANCI.
In 2024, almost 7,400 Italian municipalities entered into agreements with the Consortium system, entrusting it with all or part of the packaging from separate collection. This means that coverage now reaches 97% of the Italian population.
The volume of end-of-life packaging handed over by municipalities to the CONAI system grew in 2024 across all macro-areas of the country, especially in central Italy (+6.2%) and the south (+5.1%). There was also growth in the north (+2.7%), driven mainly by increases in paper and compostable bioplastic.
“The work with municipalities and proximity to local areas represent one of the key factors for the success of separate collection aimed at recycling,” said Fabio Costarella, Deputy General manager of CONAI. “In some areas of our country we can still do much more to achieve levels of collection and quality comparable to those of the most virtuous Italian regions. This is why we invest resources and energy in targeted projects capable of involving local communities and creating a widespread recycling culture, with attention also to areas of national interest such as UNESCO sites. Only through cooperation between all the actors involved in the integrated cycle of responsibilities will we be able to bridge gaps and build an effective, sustainable waste management system for the whole country.”