Plastic recycling crisis in Italy and inconsistency with EU environmental objectives

Question for written answer E-000567/2026
to the Commission
Rule 144
Valentina Palmisano (The Left)

In recent months, several Italian regions, including Puglia, have encountered serious difficulties in relation to plastic waste management, with sorting and storage facilities reaching saturation point and a genuine risk that separate waste collection may be suspended. This situation is aggravated by the manufacturing industry's progressive shift away from recycled plastic towards virgin polymers, which are currently more cost-competitive due to the low price of fossil raw materials, leading to an economic crisis in the recycling chain. At the same time, the European Union allows the importation of plastic materials and products containing plastic from non-EU countries, which are not subject to the same environmental, social and recycling standards as those imposed on European operators, causing distortions in the internal market.

These developments risk compromising the achievement of European circular economy objectives and negatively impacting Italian manufacture and and employment.

In view of the above:

• 1.Is the Commission aware of the structural crisis affecting the plastic recycling sector in Italy?
• 2.What measures does it intend to adopt to prevent imports from outside the EU from having distortive effects on the internal market?
• 3.Will it consider introducing binding instruments, such as mandatory minimum quotas for the use of recycled plastic or trade rebalancing mechanisms, in order to safeguard the European recycling industry?

Submitted: 10.2.2026