Italy’s paper and cardboard collection nears 3.98 million tonnes in 2025
Italy separately collected almost 3.98 million tonnes of paper and cardboard in 2025, up 1.6% from 2024. The recycling rate for cellulosic packaging reached 93.1%, while Emilia-Romagna and Piedmont remained above the national collection average.
National collection rises by 61,000 tonnes
Italy’s separate collection of paper and cardboard reached almost 3.98 million tonnes in 2025, an increase of 1.6%, or 61,000 tonnes, from the previous year. The figures come from Comieco’s 31st annual report on paper and cardboard collection and recycling, as reported by TargatoCN and ChiamamiCittà.
Average collection stood at 67.5 kilograms per resident. The recycling rate for cellulosic packaging reached 93.1%, already above the European Union’s 85% target for 2030. The result provides a substantial supply of recovered fibre for the paper and packaging chain, while placing greater emphasis on collection quality and the effective sorting of material at source.
The national increase also reflected a narrowing of regional disparities. According to ChiamamiCittà, southern Italy and the islands collected more than 1 million tonnes for the first time in 2025, making a significant contribution to the country’s overall growth.
Emilia-Romagna leads on collection per resident
Emilia-Romagna collected more than 445,000 tonnes of paper and cardboard in 2025, up 0.4% from 2024. Its per-capita result was 99.8 kilograms, the highest in Italy and well above the national average.
Comieco managed the transfer of more than 224,000 tonnes of cellulosic material from the region to recycling, equivalent to about half of Emilia-Romagna’s total separate paper and cardboard collection. The consortium paid more than €21.8 million to 330 participating municipalities.
Comieco general director Roberto Di Molfetta said the region’s volumes remained broadly stable at a high level. He also highlighted the contribution of household and commercial collection channels and said attention should focus on material quality at source because of the benefits generated throughout the supply chain.
Piedmont remains stable as Cuneo advances
Piedmont collected 319,000 tonnes in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 0.2%. Collection averaged 75 kilograms per resident, exceeding both the Italian average and the average for northern Italy. Comieco sent almost 196,000 tonnes of cellulosic material to recycling, more than 60% of the regional collection total, and paid over €18.6 million to 1,178 participating municipalities.
Cuneo recorded Piedmont’s strongest absolute growth. The province collected more than 49,600 tonnes, an increase of 2,700 tonnes from 2024, and exceeded 85 kilograms per resident. Turin remained the largest provincial collector at almost 153,000 tonnes, although its per-capita figure was only slightly above 69 kilograms.
Alessandria collected more than 31,500 tonnes and Novara over 26,000 tonnes. Verbano-Cusio-Ossola led Piedmont on a per-capita basis with more than 145 kilograms, while Biella and Cuneo both exceeded 85 kilograms. Asti recorded about 52 kilograms per resident and Vercelli 69.5 kilograms.
Recovered-fibre supply grows, but quality matters
The 93.1% recycling rate indicates that Italy’s cellulosic packaging recovery system is processing a large share of the material placed into collection. For paper mills, packaging producers and recovered-paper traders, rising volumes expand the pool of domestic secondary fibre. The regional data also show that further gains will depend on areas with lower collection rates and on maintaining the quality of material entering recycling plants.
Payments of more than €40.4 million to participating municipalities in Emilia-Romagna and Piedmont alone demonstrate the financial role played by the consortium system. At the same time, the contrast between mature regions and faster-growing territories suggests that national volume growth can continue even where leading regions are approaching stable, high collection levels.
