At the national level, the RICREA Consortium is tasked with the management of steel packaging waste. It aims at maximising the environmental benefits generated by the recycling of steel packaging, intervening through “direct management” (or consortium management) of the material (through Agreements or other specific arrangements for the recovery of packaging only), or via “indirect management” (through agreements to recognise the share of steel packaging in the ferrous material sent for recovery). All data is traced according to procedures validated by the CONAI system, and the results are counted as national recycling performances.

By preventing materials from going to landfills and favouring the processing and use of secondary raw materials, instead of primary materials, the recycling sector allows for lower energy consumption and, as a result, lower climate-altering gas emissions into the atmosphere, making a major contribution to the fight against climate change. The recycling of steel packaging waste and the regeneration of drums and cisterns in Italy made it possible, between 2000 and 2021, to avoid the emission into the atmosphere of around 12 million tons of CO2eq; 56% of this environmental benefit arises from “direct management” of the material by the RICREA system (6.6 million tons of CO2eq avoided).

Avoided emissions from steel packaging waste recycling in italy, 2000-2021 (KTCOeq)
Source: CONAI

Note: the indicators for the years 2000 to 2004 have been estimated on supply chain flows, identifying the best data available to represent the technologies and processes in use in the reference period.

All the activities which, starting from the collection of waste, lead to the re-marketing of the secondary raw material, are less energy-intensive and have a lower impact than the activities necessary to make an equivalent quantity of primary raw material available. Between 2000 and 2021, the recycling and regeneration of steel packaging waste at a national level allowed Italy to avoid the consumption of around 50,000 GWh of primary energy, 58% alone attributable to RICREA’s “direct management” (28.7 thousand GWh).

Primary energy saved by recycling steel packaging waste in italy, 2000-2021 (GWh)
Source: CONAI

Note: the indicators for the years 2000 to 2004 have been estimated on supply chain flows, identifying the best data available to represent the technologies and processes in use in the reference period.

The use of secondary raw material obtained from the recycling of packaging waste makes it possible to avoid the consumption of virgin raw material and therefore of primary material. Overall, between 2000 and 2021, the recycling of steel packaging waste from separate and general waste collection from public areas and the regeneration of drums and tanks from private subjects carried out at a national level made it possible to save over 8 million tons of primary material, of which more than half attributable to RICREA’s “direct management” alone (4.9 million tons of primary material).

Raw material saved from recycled steel packaging waste in italy, 2000-2021 (KT)
Source: CONAI

NOTE: the indicators for the years 2000 to 2004 have been estimated on supply chain flows, identifying the best data available to represent the technologies and processes in use in the reference period.

In addition to the reduction of environmental impacts, the recovery of steel packaging generates direct economic benefits for the country
(connected with the reduction of expenditure for the importation of raw materials) and indirect benefits (measurable as monetisation of the benefit
deriving from avoided greenhouse gas emissions). Overall, it is estimated that, between 2000 and 2021, the national waste management of
steel packaging has generated economic benefits worth more than 1 billion Euro of recovered material (of which 55% attributable to direct management alone) and 368 million Euro of CO2 avoided (56% from direct management alone).

Economic benefits of recycling steel packaging waste in italy, 2000-2021 (million euros)
Source: CONAI

Note: the indicators for the years 2000 to 2004 have been estimated on supply chain flows, identifying the best data available to represent the technologies and processes in use in the reference period.