Current State of Chemical Recycling of Plastic Waste: A Focus on the Italian Experience

Lorenzo Maria Cafiero, Doina De Angelis, Letizia Tuccinardi and Riccardo Tuffi ()
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Lorenzo Maria Cafiero: Department for Sustainability, ENEA—Casaccia Research Centre, Via Anguillarese 301, S. Maria di Galeria, 00123 Rome, Italy
Doina De Angelis: Department for Sustainability, ENEA—Casaccia Research Centre, Via Anguillarese 301, S. Maria di Galeria, 00123 Rome, Italy
Letizia Tuccinardi: Department for Sustainability, ENEA—Casaccia Research Centre, Via Anguillarese 301, S. Maria di Galeria, 00123 Rome, Italy
Riccardo Tuffi: Department for Sustainability, ENEA—Casaccia Research Centre, Via Anguillarese 301, S. Maria di Galeria, 00123 Rome, Italy

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 3, 1-28

Abstract: With a value of 400.3 Mt, the global plastics production increased in 2022 with a plus of 2.5 wt% compared to the previous years. Unfortunately, plastic waste is often disposed of inappropriately, causing environmental problems and an avoidable waste of resources. In 2019, the European Circular Economy Action Plan was issued to encourage plastic recycling. Nevertheless, at the end of 2022, post-consumer mechanically recycled plastics in Europe accounted only for 13.2 wt% of the European plastic production (58.8 Mt). Mechanical recycling fails to recycle mixed, partially degraded, or contaminated plastic waste. Then, there is an acute demand for new, efficient, and cost-effective recycling technologies to fill the gap left by mechanical recycling. Chemical recycling is considered a complementary alternative because it can process waste streams composed of heterogenous and difficult plastics. Currently in Europe, around 58.8 kt (0.1 wt%) of plastic production was obtained by chemically recycled plastics, but the road is marked. The Plastic Europe association announces that its members are going to produce 2.8 Mt of chemically recycled plastics by 2030. Mixed plastic waste is the main target, and pyrolysis and gasification, identified as the suitable technologies for its treatment, represent 80 wt% of the planned capacities.

Keywords: plastic waste; chemical recycling; mechanical recycling; pyrolysis; circular economy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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