Italy moves towards a more environmentally friendly economy
by Annis Mapleston at 14:32 in Circular Economy, Emerging, Packaging
Like many other countries, especially in the EU, the Italian Parliament is currently considering a range of measures to establish a more environmentally friendly and sustainable system.
In the same vein as the recent French bill on the circular economy (see our recent blog), the Italian Parliament is also considering a draft legislative decree to transpose the EU CEP directive into national law. The draft focuses on prioritising the reuse and repair of electronic and electrical equipment, packaging and construction materials, and the reduction of food waste.
Companies that are obligated under the extended producer responsibility system introduced in the draft decree can expect to see higher fees than are currently in place, as the revised system will adopt the principle of 'the polluter pays', and aim for EPR fees to cover a minimum of 50-80% of the waste disposal costs from their products. Fees will be subject to eco-modulation, with penalties and bonuses depending on levels of product durability, reparability, reusability and recyclability.
The 2020 Budget law, passed in December 2019, also takes steps towards a more environmentally friendly society by introducing a tax on single-use plastic items (MACSI). Products that are likely to be subject to the tax include:
- PET bottles and food cartons;
- Polystyrene packaging; and
- Plastic films.
If you have any questions about the developments in Italy, or would like to discuss how they might affect your business, please contact us to speak to one of our consultants.
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