Waste, Capuano (Conai): Italian excellence in recycling must be defended

“The specificities of each country must be respected: Europe should not impose rigid rules on how to manage waste on its member states. After all, Italy has a separate collection and recycling system that works and has lower costs than other countries “. This was stated by the newly elected president of Conai Ignazio Capuano in Brussels, at the headquarters of the European Parliament, on the occasion of his first official outing as leader of the National Packaging Consortium (which in Italy guarantees the achievement of the European packaging recycling targets ): the Packaging Fit For Purpose event, organized by the Permanent Representation of Italy to the European Union. “Giving packaging waste interception targets is correct – explained Capuano -. Imposing a method to achieve them is not. Italy is one of the leading countries in Europe for per capita packaging recycling, and is perfectly capable of meet the demands of the Union by strengthening its recycling industry.For this reason, if the new European Regulation imposes a guarantee deposit system, it will risk undermining a model that works in favor of a method whose benefits are all to be demonstrated. With environmental and social damage, but also economic”. “Let’s not forget – he added – that in Europe packaging represents only 4% of the total waste produced. Of this small slice, 64% is correctly sent for recycling. A percentage that, if we look at our country, can exceed 73 % thanks to the synergy between public and private guaranteed by extended producer responsibility systems”.