Waste from the environment segment

[GRI - 103-3], [GRI - 306-1], [GRI - 306-2], [GRI - 306-3], [GRI - 306-4], [GRI - 306-5],

Waste streams in the Environment business are extremely diverse due to the range of types of plants and the broad spectrum of servic- es provided by the Companies. Business activities can be grouped in the four macro categories: waste-to-energy, composting, treatment and management of liquid and solid waste and brokerage/transport. Details are provided for the first three, whereas, with regard to transport and brokerage, reference is made to Brokering and the Transport of Waste in the paragraph Waste-to-energy, composting, disposal of liquid waste and related services. Waste-to-energy activity, with the plants of San Vittore del Lazio and Terni, produces the greatest quantity of waste, totalling 85,219 t in 2023. The majority of waste produced by these plants is fly-ash, bottom-ash and water from the buffer tank248. In 2023, 51,479 tonnes of ash were recovered (approximately 83% of the total). The Orvieto Ambiente hub, the Deco and Ecologica Sangro sites and the Acea Ambiente composting plants (Aprilia and Monterotondo Marittimo) produce leachate as their primary waste in terms of quantity, derived from stabilisation of waste and primarily sent for disposal (94%). As an example, streams of treatment, disposal and recovery for waste-to-energy and com- posting sites are illustrated in Chart no. 59. The treatment plants handling liquid waste of the Companies Acque Industriali, Berg and the Chiusi plant249, which primarily produce sludge.

Chart no. 59 – Main waste streams in the Environment Business (waste-to-energy and compost sites)

Main waste streams in the Environment Segment

Table no. 72 – Waste produced by companies in the Environment Segment (2020-2022)

Environment Segment waste 2021 2022 2023
  t    
total waste 186,291 197,348 184,204
hazardous

65,538

 70,103 68,204
of which ash

59,142

63,645

 61,805
non-hazardous

120,753

 127,245 116,000
of which liquid waste (leachate and buer water)

67,741

61,705

59,656
detail by type of processing
entirely recovered waste

46,859

60,471

56,384
of which ash 43,425 52,782

51,479
entirely disposed of waste (*)

139,432

 122,129 129,624
of which ash

15,717

10,863

10,326
of which sent to landfill and subject to other disposal operations

139,432

132,601

122,057

248 Water from buer tanks or “water for technical purposes”, refers to liquid solutions used as a buffer for acidic components that develop during combustion of waste.
249 The waste from the Chiusi plant derive both from treatment of liquid waste and treatment of wastewater.