Assorimap: Mechanical plastics recycling in Italy remains under pressure

According to Assorimap-Confimi, the crisis in mechanical plastics recycling in Italy is continuing. The association of plastics recyclers and recovery companies points to the ongoing decline in sales of secondary raw materials and says there is still no structural relief in sight for the sector.

A short-term market recovery had recently been triggered by rising oil prices in connection with the Gulf crisis. Higher prices for virgin material temporarily led to stronger demand for recyclates. According to the association, however, this development was short-lived. Assorimap President Walter Regis sees this as evidence that the core problem of high production costs remains unresolved and that the competitive disadvantages of recycled plastic are structural in nature.

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According to Assorimap, the sector is also being burdened by a decision by the Conai and Corepla consortia. As of 30 March, they reduced or eliminated incentives for the recycling of particularly complex fractions. Until now, these subsidies had helped make it economically viable to process difficult-to-recycle packaging waste into secondary raw materials. These include mixed plastic fractions and certain PET products, among others.

Regis described the cuts as worrying. While the consortia had efficiently organised waste logistics, he said, effective measures to protect the recycling sector were lacking. The reduction in incentives threatens the economic viability of an industry that is already under considerable pressure. In Assorimap’s view, the measure is also economically incomprehensible, as the same waste fractions would otherwise be sent for energy recovery at significantly higher cost.

The association also criticises the industrial policy situation in Italy. While countries such as France and Spain have introduced targeted regulations to support mechanical plastics recycling, Italy has so far failed to implement corresponding measures. At meetings with the Italian Ministry of the Environment last year, Assorimap proposed instruments such as emission certificates and CO₂ credits. According to Regis, however, none of the requested measures has been taken up; the last such meeting took place on 22 December.

Assorimap-Confimi is therefore calling for concrete responses from the institutions. From the association’s perspective, an industrial sector is under pressure that plays an important role in the production of high-quality secondary raw materials and the corresponding processing technologies.

More information: www.assorimap.it

Assorimap, Rome, Italy

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