In 2024 Ecopolietilene collected 32,488 tons of polyethylene waste, recording a growth of 24%. Over 200 companies are now part of the EPR consortium

In 2024, Ecopolietilene – the autonomous consortium specialized in the management of waste from polyethylene products – recorded significant growth, confirming itself as one of the key players in the panorama of the circular economy in Italy.

The tons of waste collected reached almost 32,500, marking a 24% increase compared to the previous year. This figure is even more significant when compared to the 10% increase in goods released for consumption, which reached 78,561 tons.

Ecopolietilene is part of the Ecolight System and involves more than 200 companies, including producers, distributors and recovery operators. During the year just ended, about 30 new companies have chosen to join the consortium, thus bringing the total number of members to 202.

The growing membership in the consortium system highlights a greater industrial sensitivity towards the correct management of polyethylene, a resource that – if adequately treated – can represent an important opportunity for ecological transition, rather than a problematic waste.

Of the materials released for consumption in 2024, the largest share – 68,348 tonnes – consisted of products with a prevalent polyethylene content, easily manageable and recyclable. A smaller portion concerned less recoverable goods (6,839 tonnes) or with a marginal presence of polyethylene (1,095 tonnes), confirming the importance of accurate classifications and traceability tools along the entire supply chain.

The consortium emphasized that 2024 was a year of operational strengthening, also thanks to experimental projects and the use of certified plants. The performance achieved was attributed to efficient and transparent management, which was able to combine growth and quality. Over the four years following the launch of the consortium, collection volumes showed significant evolution: 14,000 tons in 2021, 30,198 in 2022, a slight decline in 2023 (26,000 tons), until reaching the peak in 2024 with 32,488 tons.

By 2025, Ecopolietilene aims to further expand collection methods and improve waste traceability, strengthening collaboration between consortium members and control bodies. The goal is to develop innovative tools and replicable models that will make polymer recovery more efficient and increase the share of materials reintroduced into production cycles.

Through a strategy based on extended producer responsibility (EPR), the consortium aims to transform post-consumer polyethylene into a central resource for an increasingly circular and sustainable economy. The growth in numbers, both in terms of collection and membership, seems to confirm that this vision is shared by a growing number of companies aware of the environmental and industrial value of correctly managed plastic material.

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