Versalis and Veritas Join Forces to Advance Circular Plastic Economy in Venice

According to company reports, chemical firm Versalis, a subsidiary of Eni, has joined forces with multi-utility company Veritas to advance initiatives for recycling post-consumer and post-industrial plastics, reinforcing Italy’s circular economy.

The collaboration, as reported by Versalis, focuses on identifying and evaluating waste streams and secondary raw materials from Veritas’s facilities to determine their suitability for Versalis’s advanced recycling processes. The agreement was formalized in Venice’s industrial hub, Porto Marghera, by Adriano Alfani, CEO of Versalis, and Andrea Razzini, General Manager of Veritas.

According to the companies, the initiative will leverage the Ecodistretto waste treatment hub in Fusina, which exemplifies industrial synergy by connecting multiple plants to optimize energy use and reduce emissions. The partnership aims to establish a local integrated supply chain for producing high-quality recycled plastics, with the first project targeting expanded polystyrene (EPS) waste, such as packaging used in the fishing industry. This material will be processed at the new Versalis facility in Porto Marghera, operational since March 2025, with a projected combined annual output of 20,000 tonnes of recycled crystal polystyrene (r-GPPS) and expandable polystyrene (r-EPS).

“With this agreement we strengthen our commitment in Porto Marghera to advancing plastics circularity, leveraging the industrial and technological expertise of Versalis and of Veritas, our strategic partner,” said Adriano Alfani, CEO of Versalis.

“To achieve effective recycling of urban waste, we need both the active participation of citizens in proper waste separation, as well as sorting and recycling facilities capable of turning waste back into raw material. This agreement transforms those requirements into concrete actions,” stated Andrea Razzini, General Manager of Veritas.

Industry analysts note that this partnership aligns with a broader European focus on sustainable plastics and circularity. According to experts, stricter environmental regulations and growing consumer awareness are encouraging companies to explore new recycling technologies. Localized industrial supply chains, such as the one being developed in Porto Marghera, have the potential to reduce transportation emissions, support regional employment, and improve resource efficiency, although the actual impact will depend on operational outcomes. Analysts suggest that similar collaborations could serve as examples for converting legacy industrial sites into more sustainable production hubs.

Sources indicate that the Porto Marghera facility represents a significant step in Versalis’s Venice site transformation plan, in line with Italy’s broader strategy to promote industrial sustainability and innovation in the chemical sector. Future expansions may include recycling additional plastic types, which could further position the city as a case study in circular economy initiatives.

Sources: Versalis