Circular economy: Italy first in the EU for the 3rd consecutive year

For the third consecutive year Italy is confirmed as the first in Europe in the field of recycling. This was revealed by the third "National Report on the Circular Economy in Italy 2021", prepared by the CEN-Circular Economy Network (the network promoted by the Foundation for sustainable development together with a group of companies and business associations) and by Enea, and presented this morning. Adding the scores of each sector of the circular economy, Italy is first with 79 points, followed by France with 68, by Germany and Spain with 65 and by Poland with 54. In circular production, our country scores 26 points, with a 5 points behind France. For resource productivity we are at the top of the table. Each kg of resource consumed generates 3.3 euros of GDP in Italy, against a European average of 1.98 euros. In terms of the share of renewable energy used compared to the total energy consumption, Italy loses its primacy: with 18.2% it falls to second place, behind Spain (18.4%), but ahead of Germany (17 , 4%), France (17.2%) and Poland (12.2%). The recycling of urban waste in 2019, according to Ispra data, was 46.9%, in line with the European average, placing Italy in second place after Germany. The percentage of recycling of all waste is instead 68%, clearly above the European average (57%), in first place among the main European economies. The circular material use rate in Italy in 2019 was 19.3%: higher than the EU27 average (11.9%), lower than the French one (20.1%), but higher than the German one. (12.2%). When it comes to employment in the repair, reuse and recycling sectors, Italy is in second place: behind Poland, ahead of France, Germany and Spain. In 2018, the number of people employed in the circular economy sectors was over 3.5 million in the EU27. With 519,000 employees, Italy came in second after Germany (680,000 employees). For investments and employment Italy is in fourth place, after Spain, Poland and Germany, but it is the last among the great European economies in terms of number of patents. In 2016, 14 Italian patents were filed out of a total of 269 in the EU (67 in Germany alone). Regarding the rental and leasing of office equipment, including computers, among the 5 largest European economies, our country has the largest presence of companies, but with a turnover that remains lower than other countries. On the repair and reuse front, there are over 25,000 repairing companies of electronic goods, but also of other personal goods (clothing, footwear, watches, jewelry, furniture, etc.). Our country in this sector is in third place among the five most important economies in Europe, behind France (over 33,000 companies) and Spain (over 28,600).