In 2007, Capannori rejected a new incinerator and embraced zero waste. 19 years later, its door-to-door system helped push recycling above 80% and inspire Italy’s movement

Waste management can become a difficult challenge when communities must balance environmental concerns, public health, disposal needs and the habits of residents. Capannori, a small town in Tuscany, Italy, took a different path by moving away from incineration and developing a system centered on waste separation, reduction, reuse and prevention.

The town’s experience began with opposition to a proposed incinerator and developed into a broader Zero Waste approach that involved local authorities, residents, businesses and community organizations.

Opposition to an Incinerator Starts a Wider Change

Capannori, home to around 46,700 people and situated near Lucca in Tuscany, was once expected to become another place for waste incineration in Italy.


At the time, the northern European approach of burning waste to avoid landfill-related environmental and social concerns while generating energy was receiving support in Italy. The country was facing critical waste management challenges, while some local medical organizations and environmental NGOs offered limited opposition to incineration.

In Capannori, however, a different response happened.

In 1997, primary schoolteacher Rossano Ercolini became concerned regarding the possible impacts of the proposed local incinerator on residents’ health and the surrounding landscape. Working with Dr Paul Connett, explained as a world expert on incineration and Zero Waste, he began informing residents about the potential risks linked with the proposed facility.

The campaign succeeded in preventing construction of the incinerator. The movement subsequently extended to three other communities in the region that were also experiencing incineration proposals.

From Opposition to a Zero Waste Strategy

After the incinerator proposal was stopped, Ercolini concentrated on finding an alternative approach.

He concluded that minimizing waste was the necessary direction and took charge of the local waste collection corporation, ASCIT. There, he established a pilot door-to-door collection system.

After one year, Ercolini left his position and returned to campaigning against incineration in other parts of Italy. He also succeeded in persuading the Capannori town council to become the first municipality in Europe to adopt the Zero Waste Strategy in 2007.

The approach committed Capannori to sending zero waste to landfill by 2020.

Door-to-Door Collection Expands

The municipality launched door-to-door collection gradually between 2005 and 2010.

The program initially began in smaller villages. This allowed challenges to be identified and corrected before the system was expanded across the municipality.

By 2010, the collection system covered the entire municipal region. At that point, 82% of municipal waste was being separated at source, while the remaining 18% was residual waste sent to landfill.

A further change arrived in 2012, when several villages introduced a Pay As You Throw waste tariff. Under this system, the frequency with which every household’s residual waste was collected was measured through microchips attached to stickers on residual waste bags. The stickers were scanned by a reader installed on the collection vehicle.

Residents Played a Central Role

Local politicians attributed much of the success of the collection system and other Zero Waste measures to involving residents from the beginning.

Public meetings were conducted to gather ideas and enabled residents to participate in the development of the Zero Waste Strategy. Printed data was also delivered to every address.

Before door-to-door collection began in each area, volunteers visited homes and distributed free waste separation kits. The kits contained the necessary bins and bags along with additional information about the new collection arrangements.

Volunteers were trained to respond to questions from residents. This preparation helped make participation immediate and effective.

Recycling Becomes Economically Sustainable

The system also generated financial benefits.

Money saved by avoiding the costs linked with sending most waste to landfill, together with revenue from selling recyclable materials to recycling facilities, made the system economically self-sufficient.

In 2009, the method saved the council more than €2 million. The savings were reinvested in waste reduction infrastructure and used to reduce fixed waste tariffs for residents by 20%.

Organic Waste Gets Special Attention

Organic waste became another significant part of the system.

ASCIT collected organic material frequently through the door-to-door service and sent it to a composting facility in the province.

In 2010, public canteens in Capannori received Joraform composting machines. The project also considered expanding collective composting machines to groups of residents, which could reduce the cost of collecting, transporting and treating organic waste by between 30% and 70%.

Household composting was encouraged as well. Some 2,200 households obtained free composters and training in composting methods.

Searching Through Residual Waste

Capannori established Europe’s first Zero Waste Research Centre in 2010.

The centre analyzes what remains in grey residual waste bags and looks for ways to remove those materials from the residual stream.

Coffee capsules were identified among the items frequently discovered in residual waste. The Research Centre therefore held discussions with coffee manufacturers, including Nespresso and Illy, to explore biodegradable or recyclable alternatives.

Disposable nappies were another significant component of residual waste. In response, the municipality provided subsidized washable nappies to local parents.

Reuse Becomes Part of the Strategy

Capannori’s approach extended beyond recycling and waste separation to include reuse.

In 2011, the municipality opened its own Reuse Centre in Lammari. The facility accepts items that are no longer wanted but remain in usable condition, including clothing, footwear, toys, electrical appliances and furniture.

Items can be repaired when necessary and then sold to people in need. This keeps usable objects out of landfill while also providing a social benefit.

Reducing Waste at Its Source

Capannori’s attempts were not limited to improving recycling. Waste prevention became another major focus.

Between 2004 and 2012, the amount of waste generated per person fell by 39%, from 1.92 kg to 1.18 kg per person per year. The expectation was that this would reduce further as the Pay As You Throw system expanded throughout the municipality.

Residual waste per person also reduced substantially. It declined from 340 kg per year in 2006 to 146 kg in 2011, representing a 57% reduction.

Selling Products Without Packaging

As part of its Zero Waste Strategy, Capannori identified 11 areas for action.

One prominent measure involved encouraging the sale of products loose or on tap. The municipal council offered tax incentives to small local businesses that stocked products that customers could refill using their own containers.

In 2009, the grocery shop Effecorta opened in Capannori. It sold more than 250 locally sourced food and drink products in bulk.

Residents could purchase items like pasta, wine and oil without taking home additional packaging.

A Community-Wide Model

Capannori’s experience developed from a local campaign against an incinerator into a broader system covering waste collection, recycling, composting, reuse and prevention.

The municipality’s door-to-door collection system achieved source separation of 82% of municipal waste by 2010, while selected areas using the Pay As You Throw tariff reached 90%.

The method also involved residents directly via meetings, information campaigns, volunteer support and waste separation kits.

By combining policy measures with community participation, Capannori moved beyond simply increasing recycling. Its Zero Waste Strategy also addressed waste reduction, reuse, composting and changes in consumption.

The town’s experience became connected with the wider Zero Waste movement in Italy, demonstrating how local decisions and sustained community involvement can shape a varied method to waste management.

Source: Zero Waste Europe

FAQs:

Q1. What is zero waste?

Zero waste is an approach focused on reducing the amount of waste produced and sent for disposal. Capannori’s strategy included recycling, reuse, composting and waste prevention.

Q2. Where is Capannori?

Capannori is a town near Lucca in Tuscany, Italy. It has about 46,700 inhabitants.