Another year of respite for businesses: the 2026 Budget once again freezes the plastic tax and the sugar tax, postponing their entry into force until 31 December 2026.
A decision, that of the Meloni Government, which has now become a habit.
Other postponements for plastic tax and sugar tax
Plastic tax and sugar tax were supposed to start in 2020, then in 2021, in 2023, in 2024. Now we are talking about 2027. Seven years of postponements for two measures created to direct company production and Italian consumption towards more sustainable models and remained on the back burner in response to the pressure from industrial supply chains. The Government’s intention is not to hit companies at a time of generalized economic difficulty.
Plastic tax, a tax born and never grown
Planned for the first time in the 2020 Budget Law, the plastic tax should have introduced a tax of 0.45 euros per kilo on single-use plastic products or on packaging containing virgin, non-recycled plastic (so-called Macsi). The goal: reduce the production of disposable plastic, promote recycling and discourage non-circular consumption models.
But the measure was postponed from year to year, until the new extension approved by the Council of Ministers. In the meantime, Italy has implemented the European Single Use Plastic (Sup) directive, but with large exceptions compared to the original Brussels approach, excluding for example plastics with at least 60% renewable material. A choice which, according to some regional environmental agencies such as Arpa Toscana, risks nullifying the very spirit of the European standard.
After the exclusion from the 2026 budget, the lost revenue from the tax is estimated at 1.2 billion euros every three years, resources that could also have been used to offset the contribution that Italy pays to the European Union for non-recycled packaging.
Sugar tax, the sweet tax that scares the industry
Same fate for the sugar tax aimed at sugary drinks. Also in this case, the debut was set for 2020. The tax, halved over time from 10 to 5 euros per hectoliter (and from 0.25 to 0.13 euros per kilo for concentrates), aimed to reduce the consumption of added sugars and address problems related to obesity and metabolic diseases.
According to Istat, almost half of the Italian adult population is overweight (34.6%) or obese (11.8%), while one in four young people aged 3-17 have weight problems. But, despite the alarming data, this measure has also been frozen.
Who wins and who loses
The trade associations applaud the choice. “A decision of common sense and responsibility”, says Unionplast for plastics; a sign of “careful listening” and realism, reiterates Assobibe, which represents soft drinks companies. Their hope is that this extension will be the precursor to definitive cancellation.
For the industry, the postponement represents a breath of fresh air. For the State, however, it means giving up revenues estimated at over 400 million euros a year just for the sugar tax, without considering the environmental impact of delays in the management of plastic waste.
For citizens, the issue concerns the lack of educational effect of the two taxes, which in other countries have led to a significant reduction in the consumption of sugary drinks and single-use plastic.
