Collection Systems in Italy 🇮🇹
About
Italy uses a comprehensive separation system with regional variations. COREPLA's key rule: 'plastic packaging yes, plastic objects no.' Collection methods vary by Comune (municipality).
Collection Streams
Plastic Packaging (Yellow)
What goes in:
- Bottles/flacons (water, milk, detergents, cosmetics)
- Trays/food tubs, yogurt containers
- Bags/sachets/films (pasta/snacks/frozen, protective film)
- Blister packs & shaped wraps
- Bubble wrap & protective polystyrene 'chips'
- Disposable cups (where treated as packaging)
What does NOT go in:
- Toys, basins, reusable containers, household items/utensils
- Electronics/components (these are RAEE)
- Bulky plastic items (furniture, chairs)
Notes:
- COREPLA rule of thumb: 'plastic packaging yes, plastic objects no.'
- Follow Comune rules for whether plastics are collected alone or in multi‑material with metals (common in many areas)
Metal Packaging (Turquoise)
What goes in:
- Aluminium packaging: cans, food trays/tubs, aerosol cans, tubes, foil, caps/closures
- Steel packaging: tins/cans, lids/caps, drums/containers, aerosol cans
What does NOT go in:
- Non-packaging metal objects: pots/pans, tools, cutlery, etc. (often bulky waste or civic amenity centre)
Notes:
- In Italy aluminium is almost never collected alone; it's commonly collected with plastic and/or glass, depending on local system
- 'Empty is enough': remove product residues; follow local rules on separation/compacting; remove plastic parts where applicable
Paper & Cardboard (Blue)
What goes in:
- Packaging: cardboard boxes, cartons, paper bags (clean)
- Non-packaging paper: newspapers/magazines, office/school paper (clean)
What does NOT go in:
- Paper/cardboard with obvious food residues
- Thermal receipts (common 'scontrini')
- Greaseproof/waxed paper (e.g., deli wrap)
- Used paper tissues
Notes:
- Keep it clean and dry; food residues cause recycling problems
- Remove obvious non-paper parts (e.g., tape/metal) where possible
- Beverage cartons (Tetra Pak-type) are recyclable but collection route can vary
Glass Packaging (Green)
What goes in:
- Bottles, jars, glass food containers (even broken), empty
What does NOT go in:
- 'False friends': drinking glasses, oven dishes, borosilicate glass, crystal
- Ceramics, mirrors, lightbulbs/windows
Notes:
- COREVE's key rule: only glass packaging goes in the glass collection
- Separate caps/lids and don't throw bags with the glass
- Collection format can vary (some Comuni use multi‑material heavy)
Beverage Cartons (Blue)
What goes in:
- Empty beverage cartons (milk, juice, etc.)
What does NOT go in:
- Don't treat them as 'plastic-only'; don't put them where your Comune says otherwise
Notes:
- Italy has multiple collection routes depending on the Comune:
- • with paper & cardboard, or
- • in multi-material (plastic+metals) where used, or
- • via an ecocompactor where available
Bio-waste / Organics (Brown)
What goes in:
- Kitchen scraps (raw/cooked food leftovers; peels; coffee grounds, etc.)
- Soiled paper like napkins/paper towels if food-soiled
- Certified compostable bags (EN 13432)
- Other certified compostable items/packaging if labelled and accepted
What does NOT go in:
- Conventional plastic bags/packaging
- Glass, metals, non-compostable plastics
- Garden trimmings (sfalci e potature) (typically a separate stream)
- Items your local service excludes (e.g., some bones/shells)
Notes:
- Key rules are about quality: keep out glass/metal/plastic contaminants
- Use certified compostable bags (EN 13432)
- Compostable tableware (plates/cutlery): CIC explicitly advises checking with your Comune/plant before putting it in organics
- Bones/shellfish shells: acceptance can vary by local treatment technology
Residual Waste (Indifferenziato)
What goes in:
- Hygiene waste (e.g., diapers) (non-packaging)
- Used tissues/handkerchiefs (non-packaging)
- Non-packaging plastic objects that are not accepted in the plastic stream (e.g., toys, basins) (non-packaging)
- Ceramics/crystal/borosilicate items (not glass packaging) (non-packaging)
What does NOT go in:
- Anything that has a dedicated stream locally (paper/cardboard, glass packaging, plastic packaging, metals packaging, organics)
- WEEE/RAEE, batteries, medicines, oils, bulky waste
Notes:
- 'Residual' is mostly a catch‑all: what belongs here depends on what your Comune collects separately
- Common examples: used tissues; ceramics/crystal/borosilicate; non-packaging plastic objects
Batteries (Pile e accumulatori portatili)
What goes in:
- Portable household batteries (AA/AAA/button cells, etc.) via dedicated collection
What does NOT go in:
- Do not put in residual or packaging recycling
Notes:
- Citizens can bring them to municipal collection centres or use dedicated public containers provided locally
- Retailers also take them back (common in Italy)
WEEE / E-waste (RAEE)
What goes in:
- Household electrical/electronic devices (small & large), including lamps/lighting waste, TVs/monitors, appliances
What does NOT go in:
- Do not put RAEE in residual or packaging recycling
Notes:
- Main municipal route is Centri di Raccolta Comunali (civic amenity sites)
- Retailer take-back also exists, but it's outside kerbside bins
Textiles / Used Clothes
What goes in:
- Clothes, shoes, accessories, household textiles (where a separate textile stream exists)
What does NOT go in:
- Don't put textiles in packaging recycling
- Avoid contamination with wet/dirty waste
Notes:
- Very common via street containers and/or drop-off centres, but formats vary by city
- Examples: Milan uses dedicated textile containers/collection; Rome provides controlled textile containers and also accepts at centres
Bulky Waste (Ingombranti)
What goes in:
- Furniture, large household items
- Often also large WEEE via booked pickup
What does NOT go in:
- Do not place regular household bags/recyclables here
Notes:
- Typically handled via booked pickup or drop-off at municipal collection centres
- Limits (size/quantity) differ by Comune
Expired Medicines (Farmaci scaduti)
What goes in:
- The medicine product (including liquids left in container) via dedicated pharma bins/collection
What does NOT go in:
- Do not put medicines in residual or recycling
Notes:
- Typical rule: separate the packaging first (paper leaflet/box → paper; empty glass → glass; empty plastic/metal parts → plastic+metals where applicable)
- The medicine itself goes to dedicated containers (often at pharmacies)
Used Cooking Oil (Olio alimentare esausto)
What goes in:
- Household frying/cooking oils collected in dedicated street containers or civic amenity centres (where available)
What does NOT go in:
- Do not pour into sink/drains
- Do not put in organics/residual
Notes:
- Availability is municipality-dependent
- Example municipal practice: collect household cooking oil in closed plastic bottles and bring to dedicated oil containers/centres
What Gets Collected
Accepted Items
- • Packaging materials (varies by stream)
- • Empty and clean containers
- • Material-specific items
Not Accepted
- • Non-packaging items
- • Contaminated materials
- • Hazardous containers with contents
Regional Variations
Collection systems in Italy may vary by municipality or region. Local sorting capabilities, collection infrastructure, and acceptance criteria can differ significantly even within the same country.
Important Notes
COREPLA's key rule: 'plastic packaging yes, plastic objects no.'—only packaging goes in the plastic stream.
Regional variations exist—follow Comune rules for whether plastics are collected alone or in multi‑material with metals.
Empty and clean requirements apply—'empty is enough': remove product residues; follow local rules on separation/compacting.
Collection formats can vary by Comune—some use multi‑material heavy collections, others separate by material.
Sources
Collection system information is based on national and regional guidelines. For the most current and location-specific information, consult local waste management authorities.