92 per cent paper recycling in packaging: Made in Italy leads European challenge

Milan – The Italian paper and graphics industry confirms its role of excellence in the European circular economy, thanks to an industrial model that combines innovation, sustainability, and strong competitive capacity. 

Italy is one of the most virtuous countries in Europe. “Every year, 6.8 million tonnes of paper are collected for recycling, of which 5.2 million are used in domestic plants. However, 1.73 million tonnes are exported, with a significant loss of the social, environmental, and economic benefits that would derive from proximity recycling,” stressed Federazione Carta e Grafica President Andrea D’Amato speaking at the National Recycling Industry Conference in Milan today. 

“The Federation represents an integrated supply chain that makes circularity a hallmark. Today, 89 per cent of the raw materials used come from renewable sources and recycled materials: 33 per cent from biomass and 56 per cent from recovered paper. The total recycling rate for paper reaches 70.9 per cent, while in the packaging sector it exceeded 92 per cent in 2024, going beyond the targets set by the European Union,” says D’Amato. 

The Italian supply chain is recognised as a best practice at the European level. The introduction of the differentiation of the environmental contribution according to recyclability has anticipated the choices of many other countries, demonstrating how regulatory and industrial innovation can be a central lever to increase the quality of recycling. The new European Packaging Regulation (PPWR) was an achievement, also thanks to cohesive industry action.

 The challenges of the coming years, warns the Federation, relate in particular to the management of composite materials and polybonded materials, for which technological investments and shared solutions along the entire value chain will be required. In this context, Europe is redefining stringent criteria on recyclability, recycled content, and access to raw material flows, decisive elements for future competitiveness. 

“The circular economy must not only be considered an environmental choice, but a strategic asset for European industry. Collected materials must be recognised as real ‘strategic raw materials,’ the new urban mines capable of guaranteeing industrial autonomy and sustainability,” D’Amato concludes.