Waste - Drivers and pressures (Italy)

Waste generation is known to be strictly correlated with socio-economic indicators such as GDP and household consumption. However, between 2004 and 2006, the increase in municipal waste generation was practically double that of socio-economic indicators  4.3 % against 2.4 % for GDP and 2 % for household consumption. In 2007, for the first time in several years, municipal waste generation grew more slowly than GDP and household consumption  0.1 % against 1.5 % and 1.3 % respectively) (Rapporto Rifiuti 2008: http://www.apat.gov.it/site/itIT/APAT/Pubblicazioni/Rapporto_rifiuti/Docu-mento/rapporto_rfi08.html; http://annuario.apat.it/capitoli/Ver_6/en/Waste%20cycle.pdf - Paragraph ‘Generation’, pg 295).

Municipal waste generation per capita fell to 546 kg in 2007, down from 550 kg in 2006. (http://annuario.apat.it/capitoli/Ver_6/en/Waste%20cycle.pdf - Paragraph ‘Generation’, pg 296).

One of the pressures generated by waste is GHG emissions. Total GHG emissions in Italy increased by 35.58 Mt of carbon dioxide equivalent (Mt CO2-eq.) between 1990 and 2007. During this period, emissions from agriculture fell by 3.35 Mt CO2-eq. from the use of solvents by 0.35 Mt CO2-eq. and by 0.56 Mt CO2-eq. from industrial procedures), while, emissions from energy sectors increased by 40.48 Mt CO2-eq. and from waste by 0.63 Mt CO2-eq. In 2007 wastes were the cause of 3.1 % of total GHG emissions.