Over the past two decades, European countries have made significant strides in reducing corporate waste. From 2004 to 2022, the total waste generated by businesses across the EU dropped by approximately 50%. However, Italy stands out for its underwhelming progress, with only a 17.8% reduction—far behind Spain, France, and Germany.
Italy Produces Too Much Corporate Waste
In 2004, Italy generated roughly 458 million tons of corporate waste. Nineteen years later, that figure has decreased by fewer than 80 million tons, leaving the country trailing behind its European peers.
By comparison:
- Spain leads with a 57.8% reduction in corporate waste, going from over 500 million to 213 million tons.
- France achieved a 47.8% drop, reducing waste from 879 million to 459 million tons.
- Germany cut its corporate waste by 41.8%, from over 1.1 billion tons to just above 641 million.
Despite some progress, Italy remains one of the top three corporate waste producers in the EU, alongside Germany and France.
Regulatory Hurdles Slow Down Corporate Waste Disposal
Experts point to Italy’s complex regulatory landscape as a key obstacle in achieving significant reductions.
“The trend in Italy is undoubtedly influenced by a corporate waste policy that has seen frequent regulatory changes over the past 20 years,” explains Mario Bagna, CEO of Interzero Italia. “Companies have faced continuous updates and compliance challenges, making long-term planning difficult.”
The shifting legal framework has left businesses struggling to adapt, limiting their ability to implement circular economy strategies and invest in sustainable waste disposal solutions.
Corporate Waste Reduction: The Scale of an Entire Mountain
According to Interzero’s analysis of Eurostat data, the total corporate waste generated by the 27 EU member states dropped from nearly 7.5 billion tons in 2004 to 3.5 billion tons in 2022. To put this into perspective:
- The total volume of waste eliminated is equivalent to 86% of Mount Everest or 1,300 times the volume of Mount Etna.
- The steepest decline occurred between 2008 and 2009, but in the past decade, corporate waste levels in the EU have remained relatively stable.
However, for Italy to keep pace with its European counterparts, experts argue that a clearer regulatory framework and stronger incentives for circular economy investments are needed.
“A fragmented and sometimes unclear regulatory environment hinders innovation,” Bagna adds. “This makes it harder for businesses to invest in sustainable waste disposal, ultimately affecting their competitiveness in an economy increasingly driven by circularity.”
With EU-wide waste management policies evolving, will Italy be able to close the gap—or will it continue to fall behind in the transition to a more sustainable future?