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On Tuesday 16th May the Report on the state of the circular economy in Italy was presented in Rome. It is edited by the Circular Economy Network (CEN), in collaboration with the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA).
The Report aims to document the performance of our country by monitoring the trend of the main circularity indices in the Italian economy. The paradigm shift from a linear economy to a circular economy aims to spread the adoption of the so-called 3Rs as much as possible: reduction (of consumption and waste production), reuse of goods and recycling.
The Circular Economy Network points out that the global performance of the circular economy is unfortunately unsatisfactory. In fact, the report documents that in 2023 only 7.2% of the global economy can be considered circular, a figure down from the 9.1% recorded five years earlier. The good news is that Italy remains the circularity leader among the top 5 European economies, followed by Spain, France, Germany and Poland.
How is the circularity of a system measured? The indicators chosen to detect this are based on the principles of the Bellagio Declaration, approved in 2020 by the Environmental Protection Agencies Network. Specifically, the circularity of major European economies is measured using the following 7 indicators: waste recycling rate; rate of use of material from recycling; resource productivity; ratio of generation of waste and material consumption; share of energy from renewable sources in total gross consumption of energy; repair; land consumption.
In addition to the industrial production sector, one of the most incisive elements on the circularity of the economy is certainly represented by the choices and styles of consumption of goods and services. In this regard, the Report contains a survey, conducted by CEN and Legacoop in collaboration with IPSOS, on a representative sample of Italian citizens, with the aim of highlighting the level of circularity in consumption choices in the country. In particular, this study brings out a resistance of consumers to buy remanufactured or used products, with a milder inclination to repair. The main knot to unravel seems to be the prejudice against such goods, which are considered less reliable (36% of respondents) and less durable (46% of respondents).
With regard to "alternative" consumption models, such as for example renting, sharing and leasing, the survey shows a greater propensity of the population in the 18-30 age group, and, on the other hand, greater resistance in the over-65 age group. In general, however, the study hypothesizes a future and potential propensity for the entire population to open up to these new services and more circular consumption styles, estimating that up to 82% of Italians will buy a used product and up to 64% will rent one.
Therefore, initiatives are needed to incentivize circular actions, such as greater dissemination of information to counter false myths, economic incentives to encourage the purchase of refurbished products, and finally the adoption of a certification system to reassure buyers about the goodness and longevity of the product.
Anna Ferrari
For more information:
Circular Economy Network – Summary of the 5th Report on the circular economy in Italy 2023
European Environment Agency – Enabling consumer choices for a circular economy