The recovery industry is growing

In the last five years the Italian green economy has grown at double-digit rates.

This is documented in the report “Recycling Italy 2014”, promoted and implemented by FISE Unire (the Confindustria association that represents waste recovery companies) and the Sustainable Development Foundation. Both the number of people employed and the number of companies working in waste management, for 94% involved in recovery activities have increased (the former +13%, the latter +10%). There are over 9000 companies, generally with less than 10 employees, leading to  a total turnover of almost 34 billion euros, with an added value of around 8 billion.
But there is more: despite the impact of the crisis and the drop in consumption, the uncertainty of the regulatory framework and the inadequacy of markets for recycled materials, packaging recycling continues to grow  (+1% in 2013, equivalent to 7.633 million t) with an increase in all the supply chains and peaks aboveall in paper (86%), in steel (74%) and glass (65%). The secondary raw materials deriving from the same fuel the production of key industrial sectors such as steel, furniture, paper and glass.
 
The prospects. The green economy industry promises further growth, also at European level. It is estimated in fact that waste prevention, eco-design, reuse and the like can generate an additional saving of 600 billion euros and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by between 2 and 4%. The achievement of the new  targets regarding the subject of waste would create about 600,000 new jobs, making Europe more competitive and reducing the demand for scarce and expensive resources. The measures proposed include the recycling of 70% of municipal waste and 80% of packaging waste by 2030 and, from 2025 onwards, a total ban on placing any recyclable waste in landfills.

Returning to Italy, the road to development is not without obstacles. To achieve more ambitious goals, clear and applicable rules are needed, along with a reasonable time of issuance of environmental permits and more. Among the proposals in the field, one in particular meets the consensus of all: discourage disposal in landfills, going from a presumptive pricing method to a calculation based on material actually conferred.