One of the biggest challenges of the circular economy is to reduce waste. In Italy, about 30 million tons of municipal waste and 120 million of special waste are produced each year. The estimate we make is not very precise, but at European level we can assume a ratio of 1:7, i.e. 1 kg of municipal waste for every 7 kg of special waste. Fortunately, there are many Italian companies that are making an effort to reduce waste related to their production and decide to activate an internal circular economy process.

A good practice is to commit to increasing the lifespan of the products, and to allocate them to multiple use. Each of us can make a difference. For example, those who have good tap water can drink it without buying it in bottles; those who have a vegetable garden, a garden, or a terrace can make home composting starting from their own waste. Since household organic waste represents an abundant 30% of our bins, this good practice saves 100 -150 kg of waste placed in the bin per inhabitant per year.

Then there is the world of repair, reuse, exchange. 7-8% of our trash is made up of durable objects, which we throw away only because we no longer need them. Being able to count on exchange and reuse processes is more important than ever to reduce the environmental impact. 1 kg of reused material saves up to 20 kg of CO2 in the atmosphere.

Roberto Cavallo