Waste production in Italy is decreasing, with a drop of about one million tons: a consequence of the drop in food consumption, linked to the rise in energy and raw material costs with obvious effects on inflation rates due to the Russian-Ukrainian war. Nevertheless, the separate collection of paper and cardboard in 2022 was consolidated with 3.6 million tons of cellulosic materials, up 0.6 percent from 2021. On the other hand, the packaging recycling rate stood at 81.2 percent, which confirmed Italy's leadership in the circular economy of cellulose-based packaging and exceeding the target set by the European Union. Separate collection is confirmed as an established habit for Italians: the national average per-capita collection has grown to 61.5 kilograms. The most virtuous regions are Emilia-Romagna, with a per-capita average of more than 90kg per inhabitant, and Tuscany with 87kg; at the tail end are Molise and Campania, which come in at only 38kg and 39kg per inhabitant.
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