If we want to cut greenhouse gas emissions globally to avoid the worst consequences of climate change, we must also drastically reduce our consumption of virgin raw materials. How? By moving from a linear economy to the model known as the circular economy, where all products at the end of their life cycle do not become waste to be disposed of, but valuable secondary materials to be reused in the manufacture of new goods. In short: a model in which better sorting and the adoption of technologies to recycle more and more efficiently reduces our pressure on the planet and curbs the effects of global warming.

Circular economy: an EU strategy for cutting CO2

The figures reported in the Third report on the circular economy in Italy, produced by the Circular Economy Network with the support of the National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (Enea) and the Ministry of Ecological Transition, speak for themselves: if the world were to double its current circularity rate — that is, the percentage of secondary materials out of the total resources used — 39 per cent of greenhouse gases would be eliminated from the atmosphere globally, equivalent to as many as 22.8 billion tonnes of CO2. And that is without counting the savings in raw materials. According to a calculation by the Ellen McArthur Foundation, for example, the recycling and reuse of plastic in Europe alone would reduce primary sources by 60 per cent. A significant share, when one considers that globally 20 per cent of the oil consumed is used precisely to produce plastic materials and that, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the use of virgin plastic has increased over the past two years for the manufacture of medical supplies.

For this reason, in a recent resolution, the European Union stressed that the transition to a circular economy is necessary to achieve climate neutrality — and thus net-zero CO2 emissions — and the Green Deal targets by 2050. The European Parliament has accordingly called on the European Commission to establish, by 2030, restrictions on the use of virgin raw materials while simultaneously increasing recycling. Today, in fact, only 12 per cent of the materials used in Europe come from the circular economy. The EU also intends to act on product durability, promoting research in the field of design, as well as actions such as the repair and reuse of goods.

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The circular economy in Italy

And what about Italy? The investments envisaged by the Pnrr to support the circular economy during this difficult recovery period will amount to around 6 billion euros. The first objective is to create new jobs; there are currently 519,000, equal to 2 per cent of those employed, but this figure could grow in the coming years with greater investment. Meanwhile, compared with other European countries, Italy's situation appears rather positive. The overall recycling rate stands at 68 per cent (against a European average of 57), and the circular use rate of materials is 19.3 per cent, several percentage points above the EU average (11.9 per cent).

Italy's Circular Economy Performance Index 2021, which takes into account results achieved in production, consumption and circular waste management, as well as investment and employment in the sector, is currently the best on the continent, placing Italy just ahead of France, Germany, Spain and Poland.

For Italy, the circular economy is therefore a major growth opportunity, above all for businesses, which by investing in this sector can do the planet a favour by avoiding the consumption of virgin resources, and do consumers a favour too by selling goods that break less easily. They can also cut production and waste management costs, improving the competitiveness of their products. Among the many "circular goods", technical garments made from PET derived from recycled bottles have long existed, used also to produce the latest generation of windproof umbrellas; designer furnishing accessories; even car seats.

Tempo, a positive example

Among the various brands in Italy that are adopting a production model favouring the circular economy is Tempo, the well-known tissue paper brand belonging to the Essity group, which uses only FSC-certified raw material. Furthermore, to promote plastic recycling, it has switched from polypropylene (PP) to polyethylene (PE) packaging, ensuring greater recyclability of its wrappers. It uses 33 per cent post-consumer recycled packaging, which has reduced the carbon footprint by approximately 13 per cent in EU markets. By 2025, Tempo also pledges to use 100 per cent recycled and renewable plastic, so as to further reduce its impact.

What you can do

Top-down measures, however, count for little if consumers lack civic awareness. It is therefore important to remember that making a genuine transition to a circular economy also requires your valuable contribution: sort your packaging correctly; buy products made from recycled materials; resell or donate items you no longer need that are still in good condition; practise creative recycling. The planet will thank you.