MILAN (ITALPRESS) – Over the past year in Italy, there has been a continued gradual increase in products on shelves that display the identification coding of the material composition on their labels, along with indications regarding the type of packaging and the proper disposal in recycling collections. In contrast, the certifications pertaining to compostability, additional information for quality recycling, voluntary environmental labels or other indicators, as well as directions for viewing environmental information digitally, have remained stable or only experienced minimal increases. This is highlighted in the sixth report from the IdentiPack Observatory, which has just been published.
The report is the result of collaboration between CONAI, the National Packaging Consortium, and GS1 Italy, a non-profit organization active in 116 countries that promotes the use of GS1 standards (the most utilized worldwide for business communication). The Observatory continues to monitor the presence of environmental information on packaging labels placed on the market in Italy, leveraging market data from NielsenIQ.
With over 138,000 analyzed consumer products, IdentiPack reports that the indications regarding the type of packaging and proper recycling disposal are present on 56.4% of shelf products (up from 50% a year ago), with this figure rising to 80% among those actually sold (previously 74.4%).
Products whose packaging displays the identification coding of the material, according to Decision 129/97/EC, account for 46.8% of the total grocery references (compared to 44.1% a year ago), peaking at 72.2% of all sold packages (compared to 68.5% at the end of 2023).
Voluntary environmental labels and information are now found on 8.3% of products available on the shelves (an increase from 7.6% last year).
Additional information for effective recycling is available on 6.9% of products (nearly stable compared to 6.2% at the end of 2023).
Compostability certifications for packaging remain at 0.2% of shelf products (a figure that has been largely stable over the last twelve months), while digital viewing options for environmental information are present on 3.8% of packaging sold (unchanged since the end of 2023).
Among the various product categories, the frozen goods sector confirms itself as the most receptive in several aspects.
It leads in the identification coding of material composition (with 58.3% of references) and provides indications about the type of packaging and the correct disposal in recycling (78.7% of shelf packages).
It is the only category to exceed 10% (14.4% of sold packages) regarding the presence of additional information for quality recycling.
The meat and fresh produce sectors also perform well, both surpassing 50% for packaging that includes material identification coding (54.2% for meat, 52.5% for fresh produce) and above 60% for indications on packaging type and proper recycling disposal (65.5% for meat and 69% for fresh produce).
The home care sector stands out with the highest percentage (30.4%) of packages providing consumers with digital access to environmental information.
“The communication of environmental issues, when serious and truthful, is increasingly seen as useful and necessary,” comments Simona Fontana, General Director of CONAI. “Consumers have become more aware, and companies understand they must comply with regulations while building a trustworthy relationship based on transparency and authenticity of information. Directive 825 clearly states that starting in 2026 in Italy, without scientific and demonstrable data, no green claims can be made. Voluntary communications will therefore be governed by new rules from the European Union. Additionally, a new directive dedicated to explicit environmental claims is anticipated for next year. The data from the latest IdentiPack report, however, demonstrates that companies are taking significant steps towards adopting responsible choices: a major move towards a circular economy where reducing environmental impact and enhancing sustainability become crucial elements for long-term success.”
“This edition marks another milestone in the IdentiPack journey to document the evolution of sustainability communication via the labels of consumer products sold in Italy,” emphasizes Bruno Aceto, CEO of GS1 Italy. “It serves as a critical informational resource to foster a widespread sustainability culture, unique in its representativeness and authority, as it is based on data from over 138,000 products digitalized through GS1 Italy Services’ Immagino service, which is the same database used by the IdentiPack Observatory of GS1 Italy.”
– Photo courtesy of CONAI press office –
(ITALPRESS).
