The Italian circular economy is making its way. Access to Recovery Plan funding is going well and Italian companies that currently want to grow are 1.400 per 1.600 million euros out of 2.100 available. The sum is divided into 1.500 million for municipalities and public companies and 600 for private ones. Most of the applications came from the Centre-North. Unfortunately, there are still few requests for funding from the South, where it is known that there is a lack of plants and structures. The PNRR, however, assigns 60% of the available resources to the South. Faced with this dualism, the Ministry for Ecological Transition then decided to extend the deadlines for submitting applications by one month, with the aim of ensuring greater territorial cohesion. The deadlines now range from 16 to 23 March, depending on the line of intervention requested.
Material recovery
The recovery of materials in all production cycles already allows Italy today a saving 63 million tons of CO2 every year. But while waiting for applications to participate from the South, there is no shortage of controversy over the real effectiveness of the tenders. Tuscany, for example, does not welcome the extension at all. Arrived a day before the deadline, it could penalize those territorial bodies which, on the other hand, respected the deadlines and prepared projects. ”The extension granted by MiTE – says the President of the Region, Eugenio Giani – severely penalizes the significant work carried out by the Region, ATO and companies that have taken the challenge launched by the Government on the ecological transition very seriously". At the right time, Tuscany presented interventions for 400 million euros. Recovery and recycling companies are lined up on the opposite side. They have more time ahead to redesign their activities to fit into the mega circular economy plan that Europe is asking to do. We are not insensitive to 600 million euros, and this explains a tough one controversy with the government on the interpretation of the rules for tenders. The executive has been criticized because it would have made the tenders more advantageous for public companies. The minister Roberto Cingolani has never closed the dialogue with the interested parties and Unirima - Association that brings together companies in the sector - is now satisfied with the lengthening of the times. There will be greater participation in tenders, with a view to creating the best development conditions for companies. “The Pnrr – he explains in a note – is an historic and unprecedented opportunity for Italy and to make the ecological transition a driving force for the growth of the country.
Invest in technologies
The general criteria for the selection of the projects were, however, elaborated taking into account the quantitative objectives set by the Pnrr. Funds must reward the ultimate productivity of business investment. And this makes sense, because the European Union wants an increase in recycling rates, for the purpose of recovering materials. We need to invest in technologies, to consume in a different way, creating systems for optimizing waste and waste related to production in the territories. Much of the energy efficiency of companies is linked to the exploitation of residues and waste from processing. Never delays of some others cannot pay them, Tuscany insists, worried that extending the tenders will ultimately result in delays in the realization of projects. Compared to other countries, in the two years, the situation national circular economy has improved with a recycling rate almost double the European average: 79,4% out of 49%. The impetus and good use of Recovery resources in the deficit regions should further increase these percentages, starting from the South.
