According to a report by Assoambiente, presented on November 5 at Ecomondo, Italy's household waste management costs averaged 340 euros per household in 2025, up from 323 euros in 2024. This represents a 5.3% increase in the annual expenditure of Italian households. The report, titled I Rifiuti in Numeri 2026, highlights the disparities in waste management costs across different regions in Italy.
The report reveals significant regional disparities in waste management costs, ranging from 203 euros in Trentino-Haut-Adige to 427 euros in Puglia. For businesses, the management of special waste, including industrial and construction waste, amounted to 20.4 billion euros in 2023, according to data from Istat cited by Assoambiente. This indicates a substantial economic burden on both households and businesses.
While Italy has made progress in separate waste collection, with 67.7% of urban waste collected separately in 2024, up from 45.2% ten years earlier, the actual recycling rate stands at 52.3%. This leaves a gap of 15.4 percentage points between collection and recycling, highlighting the challenges in effectively recycling waste. Factors such as the quality of sorting, industrial processing capacities, and market outlets for recovered materials influence recycling outcomes.
Italy's reliance on exporting waste is another concern, with 6.4 million tonnes of waste exported in 2024, including 5.1 million tonnes of special waste. Assoambiente is calling for the reinforcement of national facilities and the acceleration of investment authorizations to address this issue. However, no specific link has been established between the export deficit and the increase in household waste management costs.
The Italian experience offers valuable lessons for Tunisia and other countries facing similar waste management challenges. The Tunisian experience underscores the importance of measuring results beyond the volumes collected separately. Factors such as rejected sorting, transportation costs, and the quantities actually recycled are essential indicators for assessing the economic effectiveness of waste management systems.
The challenge for Tunisia and similar countries is not only to extend separate waste collection but also to develop the necessary processing capacities and outlets to transform collected waste into valuable resources. This requires a comprehensive approach that goes beyond mere collection and recycling targets.
Key statistics from the report include a 340-euro annual household waste management cost in 2025, a 5.3% annual increase, 67.7% separate collection rate, and 52.3% recycling rate in 2024. Additionally, Italy exported 6.4 million tonnes of waste in 2024. These figures highlight the complexities and challenges of effective waste management.
Key points
- Italy's household waste management costs 340 euros per household in 2025.
- The country's recycling rate stands at 52.3% despite a 67.7% separate collection rate.
- Italy exported 6.4 million tonnes of waste in 2024.
