A collaboration between Italian winery Cantina Pizzolato and plastics recycler Aliplast has resulted in 91.7 per cent of the winery’s plastics waste being sent for recycling in 2025.
Aliplast, a Hera Group company specialising in the collection, recycling and regeneration of plastics, collected 19.81 tonnes of plastics film from the Treviso-based winery during the year. A further 1.8t was managed through the local collection service.
The plastics film is used in packaging and logistics, including pallet covers and stretch film for bundling products during transport.
The collected material is taken to Aliplast’s plant in Istrana, Treviso, where it undergoes sorting, washing and grinding. It is then processed into pellets for use in the production of new plastics film.
Strength and elasticity
The new film contains 30 per cent recycled plastics and 70 per cent virgin raw material. The companies said the resulting film provides the strength and elasticity required for its intended use while reducing resource consumption.
The results come after a year of collaboration between Cantina Pizzolato and Aliplast, with the project aimed at improving the recovery of plastics films generated by the winery’s packaging and logistics operations.
The initiative reflects the wider challenge faced by the wine sector in managing plastics films used to protect and stabilise products during transport, and the role of recycling systems in returning these materials to production.
Michele Petrone, chief executive of Aliplast, said: “The partnership with Cantina Pizzolato demonstrates how it is possible to transform plastics waste management into an efficient and traceable industrial process, capable of generating environmental and economic value.
“Integrating recycling directly into our partners’ production chains means making a tangible contribution to the spread of circular economy models, anticipating regulatory changes and strengthening businesses’ competitiveness.”
‘Environmental sustainability’
Sabrina Rodelli, the partner responsible for sustainability at Cantina Pizzolato, added: “The project with Aliplast combines environmental sustainability with efficiency in resource management, reducing waste, encouraging material recovery and strengthening ties with the local area thanks to the collaboration between two organisations located just a few kilometres apart.
“In other recycling projects, the lack of operational facilities in Italy still forces us to transport materials across the border. This is why we consider it particularly significant to be able to develop a local, circular supply chain.
“Our hope is that this experience will become a replicable model and a source of inspiration for other companies, helping to foster a culture of sustainability and shared responsibility capable of generating positive and lasting impacts.”
The development comes as plastics packaging consumption across the EU continues to rise. A European Commission Joint Research Centre report published in July found that the quantity of plastics packaging placed on the market increased by 11 per cent between 2011 and 2025, reaching 5.9 million tonnes, or 14kg per person, in 2025.
