Electronic waste, collection in Italia to grow by 2.4% in 2025

For household waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), collection growth is confirmed in Italia, already started in 2024, after two years of contraction. In 2025, the flows sent for proper disposal will reach 366,891 tonnes: +2.4% compared to 2024. A trend that is reflected in per capita collection, which reaches 6.22 kg per inhabitant: also +2.4%. This is certified by the Annual Report published today by the Coordination Centre (Cdc) Raee, a body participated by the collective systems of producers that adhere to it by law.

Driving the increase were mainly the volumes sent for treatment of large white goods and consumer electronics equipment, which grew by 5.4% and 5.1% respectively to 133,691 tonnes and 86,652 tonnes. Also positive was the result of the cold and climate segment, up 1.9%, with a total of 106,423 tonnes collected. On the other hand, the trend was the opposite for light sources, which closed the year with 1,795 tonnes, down by 4.5%, and televisions and monitors, which lost 9.7% and stopped at 38,330 tonnes, still influenced by the effects of the technological change now in its final stages initiated with the bonus for scrapping TVs in 2021.

Geographically, Northern Italia confirmed itself as the area with the highest collection, with 192,952 tonnes (average 7.02 kg per inhabitant). The Centre collects 85,854 tonnes (6.61 kg per inhabitant). The South, with 88,085 tonnes, shows a stable situation (but with 4.76 kg per inhabitant). The greatest growth in Molise (+17.4%), Abruzzo (+7.3%), Apulia (+7.2%), Latium (+6.9%), and Sardinia (+6.4%), black jersey for Basilicata (-10.2%) and Sicily (-8.3%). Among the most virtuous in terms of per capita collection are Valle d'Aosta (10.33 kg), Sardinia (10.29 kg), Tuscany (8.74 kg), and Liguria (8.40 kg), while Campania lags behind (2.95 kg). In 2025, most of the WEEE sent for recycling (76.3%) was collected in municipal centres, followed by distribution grouping sites (23.3%).

In 2025, municipalities and retailers of WEEE received a total of EUR 30,385,167 in efficiency premiums: contributions made available by producers through collective schemes to support collection managers who comply with the requirements of programme agreements. The first recipient was Lombardy with 5,127,086 euro, while considering the average contribution per tonne collected, the first places were taken by municipalities and retailers in Liguria (with 104 euro per tonne), Tuscany (with 99 euro) and Emilia-Romagna (with 93 eur0).

we are going in the right direction, but there is still a long way to go," comments Fabrizio Longoni, director general of Cdc Raee. "To reach the European objectives," he continues, "which call for a collection rate of 65% of the amount released for consumption, we should reach 800,000 tonnes of WEEE sent for recycling per year: 430,000 are still missing. This will help the 3.8 million euro that the consortia, through the Cdc Raee, will invest by law in communication in 2026. And the recent regulatory simplifications concerning those authorised to collect. We will see the effects in next year's reporting'.