Ecopolietilene, the Italian consortium within the Ecolight System that manages the collection and recycling of waste from polyethylene goods, closed 2025 with all key indicators showing growth, confirming the importance of the EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) model for the circular management of plastic products.
According to the annual financial statements approved at the latest shareholders’ meeting, Ecopolietilene’s consortium membership expanded to 223 companies (+8.1% compared to the previous year), while the amount of waste managed reached 40,367 tonnes (+24%). The recovery rate compared to products placed on the market stood at 47%, an increase of more than 3% over the previous year.
These figures confirm the growth of the Consortium and, above all, the quality of the work carried out throughout the entire recovery and recycling chain for polyethylene goods - said Giancarlo Dezio, General Manager of Ecopolietilene - Our goal is to continue operating in a practical and concrete way, collaborating with companies, distributors, operators and recycling facilities in order to make both collection and end-of-life management of polymers increasingly efficient, thereby enhancing what is a strategic circular resource.
Polyethylene is 100% recyclable
The waste managed by Ecopolietilene was given new life across several industrial supply chains. Rigid plastic items used in agriculture, plumbing and construction, as well as flexible products such as garbage bags and greenhouse films, were transformed into new products. Nearly 60% of the secondary raw materials processed by recycling plants affiliated with Ecopolietilene were used in injection moulding processes for the production of items such as crates, toys, furniture and pipes. Another 20% was used for flexible film production for packaging and agricultural applications, while 11% was employed in extrusion and general moulding processes for industrial products and technical components. The remaining share was turned into pipes and profiles, sheets, cable ducts and rigid containers through extrusion and moulding processes.
As also highlighted by the recent study conducted by Plastic Consult on plastic goods and promoted by Ecopolietilene, polyethylene goods are an indispensable part of everyday life and numerous industrial activities. With approximately 670 kilotonnes placed on the market in 2024 - equal to 36% of the total plastic goods examined in the study - polyethylene (PE) is the most widely used polymer and an integral component of many essential functions of the real economy. At the same time, PE continues to play a central role in the post-consumer plastics recycling chain.
In 2026 we will continue with a practical approach aimed at enhancing the proper recycling of plastic waste - Dezio added - The industrial environment is not an easy one, and companies need support and facilitation in meeting compliance requirements. We believe it is necessary to move toward a single EPR system capable of encompassing all non-packaging plastic goods and strengthening the industrial supply chains linked to secondary raw materials, which are a key element for the sector’s development.
