Ecological transition: Italy reached the EU target of 85% recycling of paper by 2035 15 years early: already in 2020, we reached 87.3%. And we are also virtuous for plastic!
Good news for ecologists and for all Italians. Our country is 15 years ahead of the paper recycling targets set at European level. The benchmark of 85% was already exceeded in 2020, reaching 87.3%.
PAPER RECYCLING: THE ITALIAN MODEL
The 2021 report of the National Union of Waste Recovery and Recycling Companies (Unirima) also explains that the 600 recycling plants distributed in Italy produced 6.8 million tons of waste paper.
The total collection of paper and cardboard in Italy is equal to about 7 million tons, with the waste paper leaving the recovery plants which rose to 6.77 million tons in 2002.0, of which 4.96 million tons were used in the domestic market, while the remaining 1.81 million tons were exported.
Paper and cardboard waste make up about 19% of the total municipal separate collection and for 2021 an increase of about 3% is estimated.
RECYCLING OF PLASTIC: ITALY THIRD IN EUROPE FOR PATENTS
Italy is an example to follow also in the recycling of plastics and bioplastics, being al third place in Europe for number of patents. This was stated by a study released by the Epo, the European Patent Office, on patents on the plastics of the future.
Between 2010 and 2019, it is claimed, Europe and the United States each accounted for approximately 30% (60% combined) of the world’s patents in these sectors. Italian companies and research institutes are among the main carriers of innovation in both of these key technologies.
The report shows that between 2010 and 2019 Italy contributed 9% of all international patent families (IPFs) filed by companies and inventors based in the EU in both plastic recycling technologies (fourth position in Europe) and bioplastics (third position in Europe). IPFs represent high-value inventions for which patent applications have been filed with two or more patent offices around the world.
Italy also shows a high degree of specialization in both plastic recycling and bioplastics. This is demonstrated by the fact that, compared to the total number of Italian patent applications, Italian companies and research bodies have filed more patents in these two sectors than their counterparts in many other countries.
In the field of plastic recycling, Italy can boast the second highest degree of specialization compared to other EU countries in waste recovery and mechanical recycling.
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