Special waste: production exceeds 172 million tonnes. The construction sector is driving this trend

The construction and demolition sector is the main source of special waste and, on its own, generated 90.4 million tonnes (52.5 per cent of the national total). This is followed, some way behind, by waste treatment and remediation (23.1 per cent), manufacturing (15.9 per cent) and other economic activities (8.5 per cent). This is the picture that emerges from ISPRA’s Special Waste Report, now in its twenty-fifth edition, according to which, by 2024, the total generation of special waste arising from industrial, commercial, crafts, services, waste treatment and remediation, will have accelerated significantly, exceeding 172 million tonnes and recording an increase of +4.6 per cent compared with 2023 (approximately 7.6 million tonnes more).

Almost all of the special waste produced is non-hazardous (93.7 per cent), representing an increase of +4.5 per cent compared with 2023. Hazardous waste stands at 10.8 million tonnes, though it has recorded a more marked increase in percentage terms (+6.0%, equivalent to an additional 612,000 tonnes). In terms of geographical distribution, the North leads the way with 56 per cent of production; Lombardy alone produces 36.4 million tonnes (21.2 per cent of the Italia total), followed by Veneto (18 million), Emilia-Romagna (15 million) and Piedmont (13.9 million). Central Italia: 31.3 million tonnes (18.2% of the total). The highest figures were recorded in Tuscany (11.5 million) and Lazio (11.2 million). In Southern Italia, 44.3 million tonnes are produced (25.8% of the total); Campania is the region with the highest production in the area, at 11.7 million tonnes, followed by Sicily (10.1 million) and Puglia (9.3 million).

The 2024 figures on special waste management also show that 187.2 million tonnes were managed in Italia, of which 94.8 per cent was non-hazardous (177.5 million tonnes). The use of landfill is gradually declining: down 2 per cent on 2023 and down 23.9 per cent compared with 2021. Recovery is the main approach: in particular, material recovery accounts for as much as 74.3 per cent of waste management (139.1 million tonnes, up by 6.4 per cent compared with 2023). Disposal stands at 13.9 per cent.

The report also highlights that Italia imports 7 million tonnes (mainly scrap metal from Germany and France for its steelworks) and exports 5.1 million tonnes (primarily to Germany). The plant network comprises 10,563 active plants. Lombardy remains the national hub, as it is home to almost 20 per cent of these (2,068 facilities).

“The data in the Report, alongside the challenges linked to high production levels and the uneven distribution of the plant infrastructure,” commented Maria Alessandra Gallone, President of ISPRA and SNPA, “confirm the soundness of the path our country has taken towards an increasingly circular economy. The increase in overall material recovery, with significant achievements in the recycling of construction and demolition waste, demonstrates how innovation and proper waste management can translate into tangible results for the environment and the production system. We must be able to capitalise on these positive signs so that they serve as an incentive to continue along the path of prevention, reuse and resource recovery, strengthening industrial supply chains and investing in technologies and skills.”