Turnover from the mechanical recycling of plastic in Italy dropped for third year in a row in 2025. According to a report prepared by Plastic Consult for the Italian plastic recyclers’ association Assorimap, the industry’s turnover of €685m was down by around 1 per cent compared with 2024. By contrast, the volumes processed rose slightly by 2 per cent to 850,000 tonnes.
The contrasting trends in volumes and revenues illustrate the "structural crisis" the industry is facing, according to the association. The second half of the year was especially difficult, "with recycled material prices falling to their lowest levels in a decade and operating costs at their highest." As a result, margins had been squeezed to "near zero" for most polymers. High energy costs added further pressure, with electricity prices rising to €135/MWh in December, more than 40 per cent above 2021 levels, the association said....
