In December 2020, we wrote that Italy was lagging behind its Green New Deal targets. However, a new report by Foundation Symbola has declared Italy Europe’s recycling leader, tallying up the continent’s highest percentage of recycled waste at both the urban and industrial level. In the field of recycling, not only is the country beating other European countries, but it’s beating its target set for 2025 too.

Not a bad effort for a country that consistently underestimates its green credentials. And yet there’s more. Italy has recorded the EU’s fastest rate of improvement in the proportion of goods made with recycled materials, with 18% of products are being made from recycled materials.