Municipal waste generation in Italy 2010-2022

The total amount of municipal waste generated in Italy decreased from 32.4 million tons in 2010 to roughly 29 million tons in 2022. Municipal waste refers to waste produced by households and other waste like household waste, and commonly does not include agricultural, industrial, medical, and radioactive waste. 

Waste treatment in Italy

Waste management policies and processes have also changed over the period considered. The volume of waste sent to landfills for disposal has decreased. Conversely, the amount of municipal waste intended for recycling as well as the volume subjected to biological treatment has increased.

Recycling and recovery

Material recovery is the most used treatment for municipal solid waste, since it was used to treat 29 percent of the total waste generated in 2022. Biowaste made up around 40 percent of the municipal waste volume sorted in the country that year.