Separate collection of food waste to become mandatory from January

Marco Versari (Biorepack President): “World Soil Day reminds us how important our everyday actions are to restore soil to health. Increasing composting rates is a key step.” Two years ahead of the rest of the EU, Italy will be the first European country to introduce mandatory separate collection of food waste, also including biodegradable and compostable plastics

Milan, 30 November 2021 - “World Soil Day next Sunday reminds us of the importance of looking after this resource, which is essential for our lives. But we must also be aware that our everyday actions are important in order to achieve the goals that the EU has set itself, having just recently announced a historic directive to restore soil health by the middle of the century. A fundamental step forward in this respect is that from 1 January next year it will be mandatory throughout Italy to collect food waste separately, together with compostable bioplastics.” This is according to Marco Versari, president of Biorepack, the supply chain consortium for the end-of-life management of biodegradable and compostable plastic packaging. 

This new requirement comes into force in Italy fully two years before a similar commitment due to be introduced across the rest of the EU at the beginning of 2024, implementing European Directive 2018/851. The regulation requires Italian municipalities to set up a separate collection service for food waste to be implemented using reusable containers or compostable bags made from materials certified according to standard UNI EN 13432-2002.

“This step is all the more important in light of the Soil Strategy announced a few days ago by the European Commission,” said Versari. “The EU itself has noted that two-thirds of the soil is degraded, which affects agricultural yields and biodiversity. Moreover, a quarter of the land in southern Europe is at risk of desertification. It is essential to implement systems to reverse this trend. The correct use and disposal of compostable bioplastic packaging will help us meet this challenge.”

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Biorepack is part of the CONAI system as a consortium for the end-of-life management of UNI EN 13432-certified biodegradable and compostable plastic packaging, which can be recycled along with organic waste (Article 182-ter of the Environmental Code – Legislative Decree 152/2006) and transformed into compost through a specific industrial process. It was established in Rome on 26 November 2018 by six of Italy’s leading bioplastics producers and processors, and its statute, drawn up in accordance with the standard Ministry of the Environment statute applicable to consortia from the CONAI supply chain, was approved on 16 October 2020 by a decree of the Minister of the Environment together with the Minister of Economic Development.   

for Biorepack

Martina Valentini | Journalist & PR

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