{"id":17581,"date":"2026-04-09T10:32:31","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T08:32:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ultimabozza.it\/?p=17581"},"modified":"2026-04-09T10:32:42","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T08:32:42","slug":"recyclable-the-promise-that-depends-on-who-keeps-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ultimabozza.it\/en\/recyclable-the-promise-that-depends-on-who-keeps-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Recyclable: the promise that depends on who keeps it"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In Europe, 42.1 percent of plastic packaging<\/a> was recycled in 2023. The rest, nearly six out of 10 pieces of packaging, ended up in incinerators, landfills or exported. Most of that packaging carried symbols or indications of recyclability. <\/p>\n\n

The label does not lie. Plastic packaging can technically be recyclable: the material from which it is made is compatible with an industrial process that turns it into a secondary raw material. But “can be recycled” and “is recycled” are two different statements. The first describes a property of the material. The second describes how a system works. <\/p>\n\n

The analogy is with a train ticket. Having a valid ticket does not mean that the train will pass. It means that if the train passes, if the station exists, if the tracks are connected, you can get on. “Recyclable” is the ticket. The actual recycling depends on the station. <\/p>\n\n

In Italy, the system works better than the European average. According to CONAI<\/a> (National Packaging Consortium) data, Italy recycled 76.7 percent of total packaging waste in 2024, well ahead of the European target of 70 percent set for 2030. Service coverage reaches 97 percent of the population, with nearly 7,400 municipalities participating. The European Commission has listed Italy as one of the countries not at risk for reaching recycling targets. <\/p>\n\n

But the overall figure hides important differences between materials. Glass is recycled at 81 percent. Paper at 85 percent. Plastic just exceeded 50 percent<\/a> in 2024, meeting the European target set for 2025 one year early. It means that nearly half of the plastic packaging that an Italian consumer throws into separate collection is not recycled, in one of the countries with the most efficient system in Europe. <\/p>\n\n

Why? Because not all plastic is the same. CONAI’s system classifies plastic packaging into nine contributory bands<\/a> based on its actual recyclability. A clear PET bottle (band A) is easily sorted and recyclable: the optical readers at sorting plants recognize it, the industrial chain to process it exists, and the material has a market value. Multilayer, black plastic packaging or packaging with non-removable opaque labels (band C) is formally “plastic” but is not recyclable in practice: the optical readers do not recognize it, the plants do not separate it, it ends up in the undifferentiated residue. Both reach the consumer with the same symbol on the packaging. <\/p>\n\n

The problem is not just Italian. At the European level, the European Parliament<\/a> notes that in 2023 the EU exported 1.3 million tons of plastic waste for treatment to countries outside the EU. “Recycled” packaging in the statistics can mean it was shipped to another continent where there is little control over the quality of treatment. <\/p>\n\n

The regulatory framework is changing. The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation ( PPWR<\/a> ), which came into effect in February 2025, introduces two deadlines. By 2030, all packaging placed on the EU market must be “designed for recycling.” By 2035, they must be “recycled at scale,” meaning actually collected, sorted and processed by existing infrastructure. The distinction is crucial: it will no longer be enough for a package to be theoretically recyclable. The infrastructure to actually recycle it will have to exist. <\/p>\n\n

The PPWR also intervenes on environmental claims: labels<\/a> declaring a “positive or zero” impact on the environment will only be allowed to be used if the properties of the packaging exceed the minimum requirements of the regulation. And it must be clear what the declaration refers to: the entire packaging, a part of it, or all of the company’s packaging. <\/p>\n\n

This column has documented the same mechanism six times. “Natural gas” sounds clean but is fossil methane. “Carbon neutral” can mean offset without reduction. “Sustainable” in the EU taxonomy includes gas and nuclear. “Scientific consensus” is read as a vote instead of convergence of evidence. “Biodegradable” does not say where, when, or how. “Recyclable” is a property of the material, not a guarantee of outcome<\/strong>. The claim describes the ticket, not the journey. <\/p>\n\n

The next time you read “recyclable” on plastic packaging, the question is: recyclable where? By what facility? By what infrastructure? If it is a clear PET bottle, the odds are high. If it is a black, multilayer packaging with a covering label, the answer is probably no, regardless of what the label says. From 2035 in the European Union, this distinction will become law<\/strong>. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By 2030, all packaging placed on the EU market must be “designed for recycling.” By 2035, they must be “recycled at scale,” meaning actually collected, sorted and processed by existing infrastructure <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":17584,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"googlesitekit_rrm_CAowscnaCw:productID":"","_app_feed_target":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1612],"tags":[2029,2393,1822],"class_list":["post-17581","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-circular-economy","tag-plastic","tag-recyclable","tag-sustainability"],"yoast_head":"\nRecyclable: the promise that depends on who keeps it • Ultima Bozza<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"By 2030, all packaging placed on the EU market must be "designed for recycling." 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