Assorimap: Plastic Recyclers’ Revenue Declines for the Third Consecutive Year

According to the industry association Assorimap, Italy’s plastic recycling sector remains in a structural crisis. Revenue generated by companies engaged in mechanical plastic recycling fell for the third consecutive year in 2025, reaching €685 million, 1.1% below the previous year’s level. At the same time, processed volumes increased slightly by 2% to 850,000 tonnes.

According to the annual report prepared by Plastic Consult for Assorimap, the sector was particularly affected in the second half of 2025 by sharply falling recyclate prices and high operating costs. Prices for recycled plastics reportedly reached their lowest level in ten years, while energy costs rose to €135 per megawatt-hour in December 2025, more than 40% higher than in 2021. As a result, profit margins at many companies were almost completely eroded.

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According to Assorimap President Walter Regis, companies that combine recycling with other business activities such as collection, sorting, or additional services are better able to remain competitive. However, mechanical recycling is a key element of the circular economy and also helps reduce Italy’s financial burden under the European plastics levy.

One exception within the generally declining market is recycled PET. For the first time, the segment exceeded a volume of 228,000 tonnes and generated €272 million in revenue, the highest turnover among all recycled plastic types. This represents an increase of 8.8% compared with the previous year. Plastic Consult attributes this development primarily to the European Single-Use Plastics (SUP) Directive, which mandates recycled-content requirements for beverage bottles.

Comparable requirements for other plastic types, such as flexible and rigid polyethylene applications, will not take effect until 2030. Industry representatives therefore continue to face strong competitive pressure from imported materials marketed as recycled plastics but priced at levels comparable to virgin material.

According to the report, the sector comprises around 350 companies, including collection and sorting operators, more than 240 producers of secondary raw materials, and 88 specialized facilities for processing post-consumer plastic waste.

Assorimap is calling on the Italian government to introduce additional measures to strengthen the market. These include specific customs tariff codes to improve oversight of recycled materials, the reactivation of the national crisis task force for the recycling industry, and binding sector agreements for the uptake of recyclates. The association also advocates the introduction of carbon credits for recycled plastics and mandatory minimum recycled-content quotas for products and packaging.

More information: www.assorimap.it

Assorimap, Rom, Italien

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