Italy: New obligations for the labeling of packaging material
From January 1st, 2023, there will be a new environmental labeling obligation in Italy (Legislative Decree No. 116/2020). According to this, manufacturers and distributors must label all packaging placed on the Italian market in accordance with the new directives. On any packaging, manufacturers and distributors of packaging must indicate a prescribed alphanumeric coding.
What types of packaging fall under the new obligations?
The new obligations for labeling packaging material cover all packaging (primary, secondary and tertiary packaging).
What is involved in labeling for B2C packaging?
Consumers must be informed about the proper disposal of the packaging. For B2C packaging (final destination private households) the information applies to each manually separable component.
The following markings must be on the packaging:
the identification code of the packaging material.
instructions for separate waste collection and proper disposal. There are two possibilities of this marking:
"Raccolta + famiglia di materiale" - "Raccolta" (collection) is placed as a fixed term at the beginning; as "famiglia die materiale" the valuable material is then indicated, e.g. Raccolta catone (waste paper collection);
"Raccolta differenziata + Verifica le disposizioni del tuo Comune" - this refers to separate waste collection with a request to consumers that they check the regulations of the municipality.
What is involved in labeling for B2B packaging?
For each manually separable component, it is mandatory to indicate the code of the material on the B2B packaging. All other information (e.g. on disposal or separate waste collection) can be added voluntarily.
What happens to packaging that has already been produced?
For all packaging produced or placed on the market by December 31st, 2022, it is possible to use up the old stocks.
Where can I find detailed information?
The national consortium for packaging in Italy CONAI provides on its website a guide for packaging manufacturers / distributors: CONAI guide.
Further FAQs about mandatory environmental labeling in Italy can also be found at CONAI.
You can also make use of CONAI's interactive online tool e-tichetta. The tool provides assistance in creating the license plates.
Further detailed information on the environmental labeling obligation can be found in the Erion guide.
We are happy to support you with Europe-wide compliance solutions for electrical equipment. We ensure legally compliant and fast registration, notification, warranty and disposal. We look forward to hearing from you.
