Massimo Di Domenico

Achieving climate-neutral and plastic-free cities requires not only technological innovation, but also a profound transformation in urban governance, institutional coordination, and environmental practices. In this transition, waste management companies and treatment facilities should be recognised as central actors in shaping more circular and resilient urban systems. Traditionally associated with collection and disposal services, waste utilities are increasingly assuming a strategic role in preventing plastic leakage, improving material recovery, and supporting circular economy models at the local level. Through separate collection schemes, advanced sorting and recycling infrastructures, and recovery plants, these actors contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions linked to virgin plastic production and unsustainable waste disposal pathways. Beyond their operational function, waste management enterprises play a crucial governance role by supporting municipalities in the design and implementation of policies aimed at reducing single-use plastics, promoting reuse practices, and improving urban environmental health. Their territorial knowledge, industrial capacities, and data on material flows make them essential partners in the development of evidence-based urban policies and integrated climate strategies. This oral communication explores how the governance of plastics in cities can be strengthened through closer cooperation between local institutions, utilities, treatment plant operators, and citizens. Particular attention is devoted to the political and organisational dimensions of the transition, highlighting how climateneutral urban futures depend on robust waste infrastructures and on governance models capable of integrating environmental, industrial, and public health objectives. The contribution argues that plastic-free cities should be understood not only as a behavioural or regulatory challenge, but as the outcome of coordinated circular governance systems in which waste utilities play a decisive role.