Waste incineration volume in Italy 2013-2021

The amount of municipal waste that was incinerated in Italy amounted to approximately 5.41 million metric tons in 2021, up from some 5.32 million metric tons in 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

The number of incineration plants in Italy stood at 37 in 2021, 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.    

Waste-to-energy and emissions

Between 2011 and 2021, the amount of energy generated from biomass and waste increased from 10.8 terawatt-hours to nearly 18.3 terawatt-hours. On the other hand, the levels of annual greenhouse gas emissions from incineration have been falling over the last three decades.