Trash and Recycling in Italy

What we learned sorting rifiuti in Puglia and Tuscany

It might be interesting to share how we pulled off living in Italy for part of the year. I will post some steps and what we are learning along the way. We love every minute of it, and what was once a dream is our life!

We live in Tuscany in the Fall, then back again in the Spring, and in California for the rest of the time (in a previous blog, I explained why we live in Italy only part of the year).

As we explore areas in Italy, we discover some gems worth sharing. Some are well-known tourist magnets, and others are lesser-known but always amazing.

Step 1: This week, let's stay close to home and sort our trash together

We believed we were recycling well in California by putting our plastic and glass in one bin and everything else in another. When we got to Italy, we realized our recycling practices had been fairly basic.

Step 2: How trash is differentiated in Italy

Italy separates trash into several categories: paper, organic materials, plastic, glass, metals, and non-recyclable waste. Some municipalities group certain categories together, such as plastic and metal, so it is worth checking how your specific area sorts things before assuming the rules are the same everywhere.

Step 3: Is it the same everywhere in Italy?

How you recycle depends a lot on where you live. The Italian government works hard to maintain its reputation as a leader in sustainability. According to Expatica, citing the Circular Economy Network, Italy recycled 72 percent of its trash in 2020, compared to an EU average of 53 percent. That commitment is part of why the country continues to expand its waste management systems and services, and why municipalities (comuni) will fine residents who do not comply.

Step 4: Trash pickup, at home or down the street

In our town in Puglia, trash was picked up every week on designated days. We had to remember which day each type of recycling or trash was collected and put it out the night before. We frequently had to check our chart, because we could never remember on our own. If we were away for a few days or more, the accumulated trash would have to sit until we returned.

We no longer live in the historical center of our town in Tuscany, but even where we are now, just outside it, we do not have trash pickup at the house. Instead, we walk it down to large color-coded bins a few blocks away. We prefer this method, since we do not have to wait until a specific day to dispose of a particular type of trash. These bins are locked but can be opened with a magnetic card obtained at the local government office by showing proof of home ownership. If someone is renting a place, the owner supplies this card.

Step 5: Color coding of trash bins

Trash bins are color-coded: blue for paper, brown for organic, yellow for plastic, gray for non-recyclable. Some areas also use green for glass and turquoise for metals.

Step 6: The challenge of multiple containers in the kitchen

Having multiple trash containers in the kitchen can be a hassle in a small space, and I will be honest that it took some adjusting. In our kitchen in Puglia, we were fortunate to have a larger space, so we could place all of our containers along one side of the kitchen. We had to look at them all the time, but at least we did not trip over them. We also had an outdoor storage area at the bottom of our stairs, which let us move trash and recyclables out of the kitchen and keep them there until trash day.

In Tuscany, we have a soggiorno, a main room that serves as kitchen, living room, and dining room all at once. Because space is limited, we wanted to avoid trash containers cluttering the floor.

We found some stackable units shortly before we returned to California and set them up in our pantry. We had to get smaller trash cans so everything would fit. Smaller cans mean more trips to the bins, but it is worth it. I dislike clutter, and I would rather drop off recycling every morning on the way to the gym than look at trash containers in our main room.

Insights

Italy's recycling program takes some getting used to, but it is an excellent step for the environment. The US is behind on this, though we are heading in the same direction. In fact, our local trash disposal company in California recently issued color-coded bins as part of a voluntary recycling program modeled on the EU.

Learning this more differentiated system in Italy has been good practice for us, and once we got past the learning curve, it became second nature.

More next time.

If you have enjoyed reading about our life in Italy, my memoir goes deeper into where it began.

Stories from Puglia: Two Californians in Southern Italy is the memoir of finding our way through the towns, food, and people of the deep south.

"This book elevated my trip. Well written and fun." — Amazon reviewer

https://a.co/d/0340l3Ak

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