Environment

Waste, record 73% for special waste recovery. Landfilling decreasing

The data are contained in the Ispra Special Waste Report 2025 now in its 24th edition

by Davide Madeddu

23 July 2025

2' min read

Key points

Record recovery with 73%
Sectors: construction in the lead
Manufacture
From End-of-Life Vehicles to Asbestos

2' min read

The production of special waste grows, the volume and percentage of recovery rises to a record 73%, and landfilling decreases. These are the numbers described in Ispra's Special Waste Report 2025, now in its 24th edition.

In 2023, almost 164.5 million tonnes of hazardous waste (+1.9% compared to 2022, corresponding to more than 3 million tonnes) related to industrial, commercial, craft, service, waste treatment and environmental remediation activities will be recorded.

Record recovery with 73%

In this scenario, another fact emerges: 'in 2023 a record figure in recovery will be reached, thanks to which 73% (130 million tonnes) of special waste will acquire a new life,' they emphasise at Ispra: of these, more than 80 million tonnes are construction and demolition waste, which mainly become road sub-bases and embankments; 21 million tonnes of metal and metal compound waste (11.6% of the total managed) are mainly reused by steel mills in Northern Italy; organic substances such as paper, cardboard and wood are recycled (about 7% of the total managed)'. Next, another element considered by experts and researchers to be 'positive': compared to 2022, the disposal of special waste in landfills decreased by 997,000 tonnes, or -11.2%.

Sectors: construction in the lead

An examination of the data shows that 'once again' the construction and demolition sector - with around 83.3 million tonnes - is the one with the highest total production of special waste, accounting for almost 51 per cent of the overall production.

In the overall picture, non-hazardous waste, "which accounts for 93.8% of the total waste produced", grew by 2.8 million tonnes, an increase of 1.9%. The same trend and percentage for hazardous waste, which increased by 193 thousand tonnes. The overall figure sees non-hazardous special waste at almost 154.3 million tonnes and hazardous waste at just over 10 million tonnes.

Manufacture

The manufacturing sector accounts for 36.1% of hazardous waste generation, corresponding to almost 3.7 million tonnes.

"Northern Italy shows the highest production of special waste, with 94.1 million tonnes," they point out at Ispra. Lombardy leads the way with 35.9 million tonnes, while the Centre stands at almost 28.1 million with Tuscany as the leader, producing 10.4 million tonnes of special waste. In the South, the production value is almost 42.3 million tonnes. Campania, with a total production of special waste of over 11.1 million tonnes, accounts for 26.4% of the total of the geographical macro area'.

From End-of-Life Vehicles to Asbestos

The production of waste from end-of-life vehicles decreased by 4% compared to 2022, reuse and recycling totalled 85.8%. The quantity of end-of-life tyres managed in Italy is almost 500,000 tonnes (-4% compared to 2022). Urban sewage sludge production stands at 3.2 million tonnes, slightly decreasing (-0.16%) compared to 2022.

The amount of waste produced containing asbestos stands at 240,000 tonnes.