With the 418,091 tonnes of steel packaging sent for recycling in 2022, Italy could build 4,180 km of railway tracks, enough to connect Rome with Istanbul.
Italy confirms its excellence at European level in the separate collection of steel packaging, with a recycling rate that far exceeds the target for 2025 (70%) and even the 80% set by the European Union for 2030.
According to data published on 19th May by Ricrea (National Consortium for the Recovery and Recycling of Steel Packaging of the Conai System), 418,091 tonnes of steel packaging will be sent for recycling in 2022, equivalent to 80.6% of the amount released for consumption. Great commitment, therefore, of Italian citizens in making the separate collection of cans and tins, aerosols, crown caps, capsules, fancy boxes, milk, barrels and drums. Last year, the average amount of steel packaging collected per capita was 4.4 kg.
A total of 490,223 tonnes of steel packaging was collected from the public and private sectors (+6% compared to 2021): a result also made possible thanks to the Anci-Conai Framework Agreement, which, by activating agreements, promotes the growth of selective waste collection by starting the virtuous circle of recycling. Today, 446 agreements are active, covering a total of 6,089 municipalities and 51,033,932 people. In 2022, 86% of the Italian population will be covered by agreements (+1.5% compared to 2021).
As Domenico Rinaldini, President of Ricrea, points out, this material is perfectly circular and easy to separate and recycle:
Last year we reached almost 81% of steel packaging sent for recycling, already exceeding the European targets set for 2030. This is also thanks to the numerous communication initiatives at national and territorial level and to the synergetic and well-tested work of all the actors in the chain. With the 418,091 tonnes of steel packaging sent for recycling in Italy, we have saved 6,750 TJ of primary energy and avoided both the use of 398,000 tonnes of virgin raw materials and the dispersal of 548,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent.
