Background In Italy, the collection and separation of used plastics for recycling began with the recycling of mainly PET bottles. More recently, the activity has been extended to all types of plastics. However, this extension has led to a deterioration of the quality of the materials collected. In addition, in some EU countries, recycled plastics (mainly due to state subsidies) are sold at very low prices, which is not the case in Italy. In this context, the project sought to develop the technology and implement a system that would provide good quality recycled plastics at a low price. Objectives Located in two different regions, the Marche region and the Lazio region (city of Rome), both in central Italy, the project’s main goal was to promote the creation of a widespread system for recycling of waste mixed plastics, which would be financially viable (i.e., free of subsidies). Specifically, the project aimed to: 1. Create a model for an integrated and efficient system of collection and plastic recycling for the Marche region, that would have the potential for replication among other small regions; 2. Create a model for companies and local authorities in Rome, which would provide a larger-scale public waste collection service, suitable for the largest urban areas, where separate waste collection efforts are currently limited, due to various problems and where almost all municipal waste ends up in non-differentiated waste landfill sites; 3. Create an innovative selection method which, according to recycling requirements, would separate the flows of good quality plastic from rejects destined for energy recovery, in order to produce semi-manufactured materials, whose quality could be certified. Ideally, the successful models developed for Marche and Rome would have been replicated across the whole of the central and southern parts of Italy and in other EU countries. Results Unfortunately, the project met considerable difficulties, which resulted in early termination. Only the first objective was achieved: that is, a pilot for the small-scale collection and recycling of plastics for the Marche region was successfully implemented, with ‘good’ results, according to the beneficiary. The second objective, however, was not achieved. And the third objective, was only partly pursued: i.e., there was some planning of actions carried out, but these actions were not implemented. Among the various reasons for the project’s failure, the beneficiary cited the introduction by the Italian Parliament of new legislation (“Legge Delega”), which introduces provisions for an overall restructuring of the plastics’ differentiated collection system. As a main player in this sector, the beneficiary claimed that these changes had raised serious problems concerning the strategy and implementation of the project.