Environment

Awards for plastic-free local authorities: nominations for 2027 are now open

Applications for the ‘Plastic-Free Municipality 2027’ award are open until 30 November. There are twenty assessment criteria. The first edition will take place in 2022

by Niccolò Gramigni

28 August 2026

Aggiungi Il Sole 24 Ore
ai preferiti su Google

Una fase del processo di riciclo della plastica

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Key points

What’s new
The figures
Geographical distribution and the municipalities that are always included

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Plastic-free. Applications are now open until 30 November for the ‘Plastic-Free Municipality 2027’ award, which is presented to local authorities that stand out for their concrete actions to protect the environment, manage waste and tackle fly-tipping.

There are 20 assessment criteria in total: specifically, there are four main areas, namely combating environmental littering, positive local initiatives, urban waste management and collaboration with Plastic Free.

What’s new

Local authorities that have received this recognition in the past will enjoy certain advantages for the 2027 edition. This is the main new development: in practice, if you have performed well in the past, you are entitled to a head start compared to other local authorities. Furthermore, local authorities will be able to submit a particularly commendable, innovative or distinctive environmental initiative carried out within their own area, even if it does not meet the other criteria set out in the application form.

The measures also include combating the use and littering of plastic confetti, as well as balloons, sky lanterns, glitter and other non-biodegradable materials. Naturally, all applications must be submitted for review by the Plastic Free evaluation committee. Once the review is complete, the recognised local authorities will be classified into levels one, two or three turtles, or three Gold turtles, and will be honoured at the national event dedicated to exemplary local authorities.

The figures

The 2027 edition will be the sixth of the ‘Plastic-Free Municipality’ award. In five years, the number of award-winning local authorities has almost tripled: from 49 municipalities in the first edition in 2022 to 141 in 2026, an increase of 92 local authorities and growth of 187.8 per cent. The number of awards is now almost three times that of the first year.

The first national ceremony took place on 4 June 2022 in Florence, in the Salone dei Cinquecento at Palazzo Vecchio, with 49 local authorities in attendance. In 2023, 69 municipalities were honoured at Palazzo Re Enzo in Bologna; in 2024, 111 at the Teatro Carcano in Milan; in 2025, 122 at the Teatro Mediterraneo in Naples; and in 2026, 141 at the Teatro Olimpico in Rome.

Geographical distribution and the municipalities that always feature

The geographical distribution has also changed gradually. In 2022, the region with the highest number of municipalities was Veneto with 8, followed by Campania with 7. In 2023, Veneto rose to 12, ahead of Campania with 8 and Trentino-Alto Adige with 7. In 2024, Veneto reached 13, whilst Abruzzo, Calabria and Lombardy stood at 9. In 2025, Abruzzo became the leading region with 16 municipalities, followed by Sicily with 14 and Puglia and Veneto with 12. In 2026, Abruzzo reached 24 awards, Sicily 20, Lombardy and Veneto 12, Campania 11 and Puglia 10.

There are 15 municipalities that have taken part in all five completed editions: Bacoli, Benevento, Borgo Virgilio, Castiglione del Lago, Castro, Diamante, Ferrara, Pavia, Sant’Orsola Terme, Silvi, Sperlonga, Taglio di Po, Termoli, Tortora and Vicenza.

Over the years, the award has also recognised some of Italia’s largest cities, including Florence, Bologna and Genoa, and, in recent editions, Milan, Turin and Bari. In 2026, Rome – Italia’s most populous municipality – was included for the first time.

“Being a Plastic-Free Municipality means choosing to invest in proper waste management, raising environmental awareness, tackling littering, and taking action to engage citizens, organisations, schools and businesses in a process of continuous improvement,” says Luca De Gaetano, founder and chairman of Plastic Free Onlus. “For each criterion, we require concrete evidence of the commitment made: we want this recognition to represent a credible, measurable and continuously evolving process,”