There is a distinctly Italian paradox that risks costing us dearly in the coming years. On the one hand, we are top of the class in Europe when it comes to waste recycling; on the other, our manufacturing industry continues to be desperately dependent on foreign imports. Italy currently imports more than 80 per cent of its virgin raw materials. This systemic vulnerability, in a world marked by geopolitical tensions and fragile supply chains, is a real thorn in the side of our Gross Domestic Product.

​The theoretical solution is already within our grasp: the circular economy. Yet, just when we should be stepping up our efforts, our recycling sector has entered a period of severe hardship.

​Despite the technological excellence of our plants, recycling companies find themselves caught in a stranglehold. On the one hand, energy and operating costs remain extremely high; on the other, there is a lack of domestic demand for ‘secondary raw materials’ (materials derived from recycling). Many companies still prefer to purchase virgin raw materials because they are cheaper and involve less red tape.

​To get out of this quagmire, we must not simply step up our waste recycling efforts, but make them economically sustainable.

​A single European market for secondary raw materials, for example, could help the sector by standardising rules and certifications at EU level to allow these materials to circulate freely and compete on a level playing field with virgin resources.

​Structural tax incentives, with the introduction of tax relief for businesses that choose to replace virgin materials with recycled ones, thereby creating a genuine competitive advantage. Another aspect to keep under close scrutiny is the issue of ‘urban mines’, represented by WEEE.

​If there is one sector where this issue is of vital importance, it is that of WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment). Discarded smartphones, old computers, household appliances and end-of-life solar panels are, to all intents and purposes, our new mines.

​WEEE contains critical materials and rare earth elements (such as lithium, cobalt, neodymium, silicon, etc.), which are essential for the manufacture of wind turbine blades, photovoltaic panels, electric vehicle batteries and microchips.

​Without these materials, Italy’s energy transition simply cannot happen. Continuing to import them from non-EU countries (often under quasi-monopoly conditions, as in the case of China) condemns us to a new form of energy dependence, identical to the one we had for gas and oil. Extracting these materials from our own waste is no longer merely an environmental choice, but a strategic priority for national security.

​It is essential to support the recycling sector by making it economically viable.

​The circular economy cannot rely solely on the goodwill of citizens who sort their waste at home. It needs a robust and profitable industrial infrastructure. Supporting the recycling sector today means protecting Italian factories tomorrow.

​If we do not take immediate action to stabilise the supply chain, add value to recycled materials and unlock the potential of WEEE, we risk remaining only half-way to excellence: champions at recycling waste, but forced to watch others build the future using our own resources.