Yesterday, 24 January 2025, the Cantieri Culturali alla Zisa in Palermo hosted the presentation event of the Dossier Comuni Ricicloni Sicilia 2024, organised by Legambiente Sicilia, during which the most virtuous municipalities in waste management and circular economy were awarded.
Messina received the Special Mention 'Storie di Economia Circolare' (Stories of Circular Economy), an award that valorises the metropolitan city's virtuous path in differentiated waste collection and sustainable waste management. Today, the Messina model represents for Sicily and the whole of southern Italy the example of 'it can be done' .
Picking up the special mention for Messinaservizi Bene Comune and the city of Messina was the President of Messinaservizi, Mariagrazia Interdonato, who said: 'With the De Luca administration, Messina has embarked on a courageous transformation, starting from a critical situation in which differentiated waste collection was at a standstill below 10% and the streets were overrun with waste. The completion of the door-to-door service in 2021, with the elimination of the last street bins, marked a decisive turning point. This path was then continued with determination by the Basile administration, which consolidated the progress achieved.
In fact, in 2023 Messina reached the annual average of 55.4% of differentiated waste collection, and just yesterday it was confirmed by Messinaservizi Bene Comune that the average percentage figure for the year 2024 exceeded 58%.
Regarding the new result, the Mayor of Messina, Federico Basile, said:
"Surpassing the 58% of separate waste collection in 2024 represents an extraordinary achievement that confirms the virtuous path taken by our city. This success would not have been possible without the concrete and constant contribution of the citizens, who have shown how, with the right collective commitment, a city can be reborn and become a model of circular economy for Southern Italy".

Messina continues to look ahead, ready to consolidate its leading role in Sicily and Southern Italy in waste management, demonstrating that change is possible thanks to the collaboration between administration and citizens.