Every year, billions of drink containers end up abandoned in the environment, contributing to a phenomenon that in Italy is little studied but with evident impacts: costs for the municipalities, waste of precious materials and increase in the plastic tax that the state pays to Europe. Plastic, glass and aluminum accumulate in the streets, parks and waterways, putting ecosystems and resources at risk.
To understand who contributes more to litteringthe “good to make” campaign conducted an audit brand between May 2024 and May 2025 in the municipalities of the Milanese between Grezzago, Trezzo sull’Adda and Pozzo d’Adda. Volunteer Helena Boers has collected 21,617 containers, saving them from the incineration and avoiding the emission of 3.02 tons of CO₂.
The survey shows that the abandoned containers are often the same, in fact few brands and large groups are responsible for a good part of the problem.
Curious to find out who it is?
The most present brands in littering
These only 10 brands constitute 67% of the 11,686 recognizable containers. The general classification sees the first places:
On the industrial groups front, the responsibility is concentrated in a few players: Heineken (owner of Moretti and Ichnusa), Coca-Cola, AB Inbev and San Benedetto guide the list.
As for the materials dispersed in the environment, plastic obviously dominates (42.2%), followed by aluminum (28.3%) and glass (25%). This prevalence of glass and disposable metal is peculiar of Italy, where a real void system is missing to make on the shelves.
If instead the sectors are considered, beer is responsible for 35%of the littering, exceeding mineral waters (31%) and soft drinks (26%).
Because a security deposit system is needed
On the occasion of the World Cleanup Day of September 20, millions of citizens worldwide mobilize to clean up streets and beaches. In Italy, this coincides with Puliamo the world of Legambiente. However, as the campaign “to make it” points out, cleaning the environment is not enough: the problem must be addressed at the root with a security deposit system (DRS).
In the 17 EU countries where it is already active, collection rates exceed 90% and the abandonment of the containers collapsed, with peaks of 98% in Germany. In Italy, where over 8 billion containers escape recycling every year, the adoption of the DRS could free the roads from waste and recover precious resources, also reducing dependence on imports of raw materials.
The appeal of the producers and the campaign
On the occasion of the World Cleanup Day, the “good to make” campaign relaunches the appeal: Italy must immediately have a DRS. As the coordinators explain, the introduction of the system is urgent to reduce littering, increase quality recycling and promote a more circular economy, in line with the standards of the most virtuous European countries.
