Managing urban waste isn't just about ensuring an efficient service. It also means choosing sustainable, traceable models capable of reducing environmental impact and valuing resources. It is from this perspective that the Decree 7 April 2025, with which the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security has approved the new Minimum Environmental Criteria (CAM) for the management of urban waste.
An anticipated update that strengthens the key tool of Green Public Procurement (GPP), namely the policy of green public procurement provided for by the National Action Plan on GCP. The Plan, operational since 2008, promotes the integration of environmental criteria into public procurement to steer demand towards goods and services with a lower impact. CAMs, therefore, are an integral part of this strategy and represent a binding reference for all contracting authorities.
But what exactly are CAMs and what new things does this decree bring?
What are minimum environmental criteria and why are they important?
EMAS are mandatory environmental requirements that Public Administrations must include in tenders for supplies and services, and are considered the main implementation tool for Green Public Procurement (GPP) In Italy, they become the guiding criteria by which the Public Administration can move the market towards more sustainable practices, promoting more efficient technologies, more transparent services, and a circular approach to resource management.
In the case of Urban waste management, The CAM set specific criteria for the collection, transport, treatment and user information, focusing on quality of service, data traceability and reduction of environmental impact.
The main novelties of the Decree of 7 April 2025
The decree of 7 April updates and replaces the previous CAMs (Ministerial Decree of 13 February 2014), introducing significant changes both to the design of services and to the methods of control and monitoring. The aim is twofold: to improve the efficiency and sustainability of waste collection and to favour the transition to a circular economy real, measurable and integrated with the territories.
Among the main new features:
- New organisational requirements for businesses Those wishing to participate in tenders: greater transparency is required in data management and environmental performance measurement;
- material balance introductionCompanies will have to document inbound and outbound flows, improving supply chain control and accountability. with tools like K-TARIP;
- Strengthening separate waste collection: traceability requirements are being strengthened, with a particular focus on the quality of the organic fraction and the management of textile waste;
- Improving user informationcommunication and citizen engagement activities become central, with the aim of increasing awareness and active participation;
- Technology and digitisation: tools such as vehicle geolocation systems, route planning software, and platforms for data analysis and monitoring are recognised as essential.
Who are the new CAMs aimed at?
CAMs are mandatory for:
- Municipalities and Unions of Municipalities
- Metropolitan Cities
- Other public bodies that contract out municipal waste management services
But they also have an impact on companies in the sector, which must adapt their procedures, technologies and tools in order to participate in public tenders, offering services that comply with the new criteria.
When will the new CAMs come into effect?
The Ministerial Decree of 7 April 2025 was published in the Official Gazette no. 92 of 19 April 2025 and will come into force on 18 June 2025, following the usual 60 days from publication.
What objectives do we wish to achieve?
The Decree aims to:
- reduce the environmental impact waste management
- Improve the quality of recycling
- To make the supply chain more transparent and controllable.
- foster technological innovation and organisational efficiency
- encourage virtuous behaviour both in operators and in citizens
What must contracting authorities do?
With the decree coming into force, contracting authorities will be required to to adapt design, procurement and control activities of urban hygiene services, following precise instructions.
Among the main obligations:
- include in the tender documents at least the technical specifications and contractual clauses provided for by CAM, as required by art. 57 of the new Procurement Code (Legislative Decree 36/2023);
- Design the services in detail, avoiding standardised solutions and calibrating environmental requirements based on the territorial context;
- Check compliance with environmental criteria, both at the awarding stage and during execution;
- reward innovative proposals related to reuse, recycling and selective collection intended for certified recovery channels;
- implement monitoring and traceability systems, to control waste streams, measure collection quality, and incentivise pay-as-you-throw schemes.
The decree also underlines the importance of accompanying technical innovation with Staff training and Public awareness, through information campaigns and educational programmes, essential for increasing effectiveness and active participation in the service.
Towards a greener public administration
The new CAMs for urban waste management represent an important step towards a more responsible and transparent model. The ecological footprint is no longer just a technical issue: it is a strategic lever that involves public administrations, businesses, and citizens. Applying them well means Rethinking services not just to collect better, but to pollute less, recover more, and form a virtuous ecosystem around waste..
The change has begun. Now it needs to be transformed into value, for the environment and for the territories.
