The goal is ambitious: to make Palermo a cleaner, more organised city aligned with the principles of the circular economy. The main steps to achieve this? New technological infrastructure at the Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs), the Recopet project, and the expansion of door-to-door collection.
Leading this transformation is RAP (Risorse Ambiente Palermo), which, with the support of the municipal administration and trade associations, has committed to making the city a model for waste management, in line with European directives on recycling and material recovery.
Collection centres, the beating heart of change
The central piece in this new path is undoubtedly the expansion of the CCR network, which will increase from seven to twelve within the next few years, strategically distributed across the territory. Each centre is not just a drop-off point, but a true hub of innovation and sustainability, where citizens can deposit separate waste and receive immediate benefits, such as reductions on the TARI (waste tax). The project integrates innovative solutions, including the recent installation of UniWaste smart devices, designed by Sikuel – Gruppo Maggioli in collaboration with Dimma.
The UniWaste devices They use cloud systems for user recognition, real-time waste collection registration and data analysis necessary for calculating bonuses and pay-as-you-throw tariffs. UniWaste, thanks to the K-TARIP software, is integrated with the Municipal Administration's billing system to ensure interoperability between hardware and software systems.
The 7 CCRs will be activated in conjunction with the eco-compactors for the collection of PET bottles.
RecoPet and the push for plastic recycling
No less relevant is the project RecoPet, created in collaboration with COREPLA and the Municipality of Palermo. The 32 “plastic-eating” machines installed in the city, soon to increase to 40, have already made it possible to recover over a million PET bottles, equivalent to 27 tonnes of plastic. Each bottle deposited in the devices generates points for citizens, which can be used as discounts at affiliated businesses.
The objective: a sustainable and cutting-edge Palermo
RAP's ambitions do not stop there. By 2025, indeed, the door-to-door collection service will be extended to a further 200,000 citizens, covering an area twice the size of the current one. This intervention, combined with technological innovations and the growth of the CCR network, demonstrates a new waste management approach that looks to the future, without forgetting the crucial role of the community, as explained by Giuseppe Todaro, president of RAP: “Rap is increasingly focusing on plastic recycling and rewards for good citizens – he explains. In agreement with the municipal administration and trade associations, we have implemented several tools, including a permanent technical table whose main objective is to extend separate waste collection in the city, improve urban decorum, and respect the environment. It's a genuine pact with the city to make Palermo ever more “green”.
The aim, as we were saying, is ambitious, but Palermo is doing its utmost to become a model city in Southern Italy for innovation and sustainability in waste management.
For more information, please visit the website Uniwaste.it
