The Italian Waste Management market

The current situation of production and treatment capacity for waste in the traditional operational areas of the Acea Group and in the neighbouring areas shows a high “potential demand” for waste management (disposal in landfills, waste-to-energy, composting and biogas production, sludge and liquid waste treatment, recycling of mixed materials and production of Secondary Raw Materials). This is facilitated by a national regulatory framework that provides incentives and by the regulatory support of European directives on the recovery of materials and energy, as well as by the implementation of the European Union’s policy guidelines on the circular economy (closing the loop), which are being implemented in Italy by virtue of a delegated law that has given the government the obligation to update environmental legislation adapting it to the new EU standards.

Opportunities for developing the sector are therefore highlighted, also facilitated by the availability of new technologies (for example in composting) and by possible forms of industrial integration with other operators.

Finally, the expansion of the potential for disposal/recovery of sewerage sludge – in the context of value added environmental services (sludge treatment, compost) – could lead to the completion of the integration with the Water business, in view of a complete management in-house of the entire supply chain.