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Environmental information systems
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The indicator shows the total generated amount of all types of waste from all economic sectors and households, and compares it with economic development measured as gross domestic product (GDP).
Total waste generation per capita has grown over the years, largely in line with changes recorded for gross domestic product (GDP), except for 2020. In 2012, the growth recorded was one of the lowest values since 2004. The biennial growth recorded in 2014, 2016 and in 2018 was of the order of 0.1, 3.9 and 5.7 percentage points, respectively. The steep decline in 2020 is probably related to a large drop in GDP due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in 2022, despite a GDP increase of 13.9 percentage points, the growth in waste generation amounted to 10.1 percentage points.
Total waste generation can be broken down into three main waste streams, influenced by different policies and pressure factors. Construction waste (around 42.5% of the total in 2022) is usually the main factor behind the increase or decrease in total waste generation due to its high specific weight.
Waste generated by other economic activities is the category most closely linked to national production and thus to GDPand is therefore the area in which policies that work to decouple GDP from waste are most effective. Among these, manufacturing waste – representing 15% of total waste – increased by only 2% compared with 2018 (from 470 kg per capita to 478 kg per capita), but 7.2% compared with 2020 due to the rebound effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Municipal waste (15.3% of the total) decreased between 2010 and 2022 (by – 10%, from 548 kg per capita to 492 kg per capita). It is linked more closely to final household consumption expenditure than to GDP and might be more influenced by policies that encourage greener products and waste reduction (Additional data and more detailed information on waste generation and management are available in the National Waste Repository at the following link: www.catasto-rifiuti.isprambiente.it).