Surprisingly, among the large European countries, Italy is the one with the largest share of raw material recovery in the production system: 18,5% against 10,7% in large Germany. Here is one of the sobering figures presented today, Wednesday, by Enel and the Symbola Foundation. The appointment is the annual one, now in its third edition, with the "100 stories" to tell which in the past concerned innovation in energy, electric mobility and which this year concern "100 Italian circular economy stories” or the supply chains, technologies and champions of the Made in Italy circular economy.
A LIFE OF INDUSTRIAL RECYCLING
In practice, from the scrap of Brescia to the rags of Prato, to the waste paper of Lucca, Italy has a virtuous history in the field of industrial recycling and has made great strides forward. “As Eurostat certifies – explains the Enel-Symbola 2018 report – among the large European countries we are the one with the largest share of circular material (secondary raw material) used by the production system: with 256,3 tonnes per million euros, a figure that has almost halved compared to 2008 and much lower than that of Germany (423,6), we are the most efficient among the large European countries in terms of material consumption after Great Britain (which uses 223,4 tonnes of material per million euro and but an economy more tied to finance). We are second after Germany (59,2 million tons) for industrial recycling with 48,5 million tons of non-hazardous waste sent for recycling (better than France, 29,9 Mt, United Kingdom, 29,9 Mt, Spain 27 Mt). A recovery that saves primary energy for over 17 million tons of oil equivalent per year, and emissions for about 60 million tons of CO₂” . The data is the result of an elaboration by the Ambiente Italia research institute.
THE VIRTUOUS: ALSO LESS KNOWN NAMES NEXT TO THE BIG
In the Report, presented in Rome by Francesco Starace CEO of Enel and by Ermete Realacci president of the Symbola Foundation, better-known and lesser-known names appear. Among the former is the Mapei group alongside Eataly in Cuneo or Salvatore Ferragamo known in the world. But alongside the most renowned excellences, lesser-known names also shine, such as la Saviola Holding of Mantua which can boast the world record with 1.700.000 cubic meters of recovered wood. There is Cuki Group but also the QUID social cooperative (clothing and accessories) together with Orange Fiber of Catania, a startup created by two young entrepreneurs from Catania that produces fine fabrics made from the peel of oranges (the same ones that Ferragamo uses). Couldn't miss the Conai (national packaging recycling) together with the Hera Group, the credit giant Intesa Sanpaolo, the Banco Alimentare Foundation close to Cariplo (the latter included in the Enablers-platforms chapter).
Scrolling through the names gives an injection of confidence, demonstrating – Francesco Starace said – “that among the 100 excellences of the circular economy in Italy there are not only large companies but also small and medium-sized companies, institutions, associations, cooperatives that they had the ability to anticipate the times and to adopt virtuous industrial practices and processes”. Doing so also improves "the competitiveness of the Italian system also in the international arena and contributes to the fight against climate change".
"The one hundred excellences of this Report - continued Ermete Realacci - speak to us of a more sustainable and competitive, more equitable model of economy and society, which could represent the Italian answer to the burning questions that the present and the future pose to the planet":
