Italy recorded renewed progress in municipal waste management in 2026, with 675 communities earning the designation “Waste Free.” The total increased from 663 in 2025, reversing last year’s 5% decline and adding 12 municipalities to the national list.
The results appear in the 33rd edition of Comuni Ricicloni, Legambiente’s annual survey recognizing local governments that combine effective separate collection with very low levels of residual waste. To qualify as Waste Free, a municipality must produce less than 75 kilograms of non-recyclable waste per resident each year.
