Liguria is making incremental progress on recycling, but structural weaknesses continue to hold the region back, leaving it below EU-aligned targets and trailing northern peers.
In 2024, its municipalities delivered more than 132,000 tonnes of packaging waste to the national consortium CONAI, while payments to local authorities rose to around €24.9 million. Yet the region still falls short of the 65 per cent target required by law, with Genoa province at just 55 per cent.
“These figures point to a slow but steady improvement, while also highlighting the need to accelerate,” CONAI Deputy Director Fabio Costarella told Euractiv.
Structural constraints persist
Despite rising volumes, the gap with top-performing regions such as Emilia-Romagna and Veneto remains significant, reflecting deeper territorial and infrastructural challenges.
“There are areas of Liguria, such as the provinces of La Spezia and Savona, that have been delivering solid results for years. However, the region’s geography makes service management more complex. Door-to-door collection still struggles to achieve widespread implementation,” Costarella explained.
At the city level, authorities acknowledge that both systemic and behavioural factors are at play.
“There is definitely a behavioural issue linked to a general perception of neglect, and that is something we want to tackle by paying more attention to our local areas,” Genoa Mayor Silvia Salis told Euractiv.
“The layout of the collection system needs to be redesigned and filled in where there are gaps. We need a ‘tailor-made’ approach because Genoa is so diverse – from the valleys to the city centre and the historic districts,” she added.
A push for citizen engagement
To address these issues, Genoa has launched a new campaign with CONAI and AMIU, framing recycling as a shared civic responsibility.
“We are also backing this with a communication campaign that encourages citizens to ‘get in the game’ and do their part. It is a sports metaphor – an invitation to work as a team,” Salis said.
The initiative reflects a broader recognition that technical solutions alone are insufficient.
“We need a ‘pact’ with the community, but we are still seeing too many instances of neglect and fly-tipping that are costing the administration dearly,” she added. “As always, awareness and education must go hand-in-hand with enforcement and cracking down on illegal acts.”
Shifting towards quality
Beyond increasing collection volumes, improving the quality of recycled materials has become a central concern.
“While the trend has been positive lately, we also need to focus on quality; often, the materials collected do not meet the standards required for the recovery chain,” Salis explained.
Italy’s extended producer responsibility system already seeks to address this through performance-based incentives.
“The more separate collection improves in both quantity and quality, the higher the payments provided by the consortia system,” Costarella mentioned.
However, upcoming EU rules are expected to push further changes.
“The new EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation emphasises recyclability, reuse, and sustainable design, with binding targets for waste reduction and greater traceability throughout the lifecycle of packaging,” he said.
“Incentives should favour easily recyclable packaging with minimum recycled content, promote reuse, and strengthen traceability and transparency of flows.”
Infrastructure rethink underway
For Genoa, improving recycling performance will ultimately depend on a broader redesign of the waste system.
The city is reviewing collection models, expanding targeted door-to-door schemes and assessing infrastructure needs, particularly as its main landfill approaches the end of its lifecycle.
“We are exploring every option to improve the flow of Genoa’s waste… The more we treat and sort waste close to where it is collected, the more we can turn a profit and reduce our environmental footprint,” Salis said.
What needs to change
Closing the gap with top-performing regions will require a combination of measures already identified by local authorities and CONAI.
As Costarella pointed out, leading regions have built “a fully integrated industrial cycle, combining widespread door-to-door collection, advanced treatment infrastructure, and strong public awareness,” a model Liguria will need to adapt to its own territorial constraints.
This implies scaling up collection systems where feasible, strengthening infrastructure, and improving coordination across the recycling chain.
At the same time, both officials stress that improving collection quality and reducing contamination will be critical, alongside stronger enforcement and sustained public engagement.
Measuring impact
Authorities say the success of the campaign will be judged on measurable outcomes rather than messaging alone.
“The campaign will be assessed with concrete indicators… primarily, increases in the recycling rate relative to current levels,” Costarella said.
While the challenge remains significant, both local and national actors argue that progress is achievable.
“It is an ambitious goal, but significant improvements can be achieved even in a relatively short time where there is clear political will,” Costarella added.
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