How Circular Is Circular?
In recent years, the circular economy has drawn increasing attention, so much so that today it has become a sort of slogan/symbol to describe environmentally-friendly changes made (or to make) to a ...
Pushing the Limits of Technology, Recognizing the Limits of Natural Resources
“Being able to live well within natural limits is the great challenge of our century and it requires a change in development model. We must adopt a habit of production and conservati...
A Question of Fibre
Not all fibres were made equal. With regard to paper, we are used to “noble” wood-derived cellulose, that a few decades ago came from virgin sources, but over the last few years has been...
Paper: Sustainability Enters the Production Cycle
Sustainable processes. It is not just a question of matter and energy, but often of methods and processes as well. This is a new approach taking hold in the management of industrial activities and o...
We Recyle Oil
In the circular economy one of the most controversial sticking points is the supply of material to recycle or regenerate. As William McDonough outlines in this issue of Renewable Matter, waste shou...
700 for the Bioeconomy
Promoted and organized by EuropaBio, representative association of European biotech and biobased industry, EFIB (European Forum on Industrial Biotech), has reached its eighth edition. Thi...
In Iceland, Cod is king
“While in typical North Atlantic fisheries, the head, gut and bones of every cod are discarded, in Icelandic fisheries we have become used to making money out of many of these by-products,&rdq...
Earth Conundrum: +83 Million -15 Billion
Even assuming a decline in fertility rates, global population will reach 8.5 billion by 2030, 9.7 billion by 2050 and 11.2 billion by 2100, compared to the average variant projections. And even if f...
Matter Must Be Renewed, Not Incinerated
Those who thought that with Sblocca Italia (Unlock Italy) decree, the hydrocarbon extraction and the new large and useless constructions, the government had hit rock bottom with its environmental po...
Expo: A (Partially) Untold Story
Critics like to begin by noting the absence of a coordinated message addressing the great global crises concerning the world’s food supply. In fact, such questions do receive attention here an...
The Circular Economy Race: Aluminium in Pole Position
In all sports there are natural talents, champions with innate abilities. In the circular economy race, aluminium features amongst the favourites at the starting grid, with all the right stuff for a...
Zero Waste Disposal, 100% Recovery
In any of its uses, aluminium in particular fully represents and expresses the values and the principles of a system embracing the so-called circular economy, even anticipating the challenges and op...
The Role of Design in New Matter Scenarios
Equally, as we have heard it many times before, design plays a crucial role in transforming the way products – from the simplest to the more complex – are conceived. A specific EU direct...
Urban Mines of Aluminium
This issue’s black and white still-life photographs by Sergio Tornaghi Global Context Global Aluminium Flows 75% of aluminium produced over the last 125 ...
Packaging: Environmental Changes in Waste Management
The aims of this paper are: identifying new aspects about packaging, waste management and the AIA; listing some particularities of the new Law 68/2015, as well as those found in the new Part VI ...
The Mirror of Waste
These macro themes – from the financialization of the economy to eco mafias – have generated a heated debate that in this Renewable Matter’s issue it is not possible to tackle. But...
Joseph Beuys: Recognizing Nature's Intelligence
“For some time we still have the chance to freely come to a decision, that is following a different flow from the one we went through in the past. We still can decide to align our intelligence...
Remaking Will Change the Economy of Tomorrow
The Culture of Second-Hand Goods The culture of second-hand goods means sharing what we have now with those who owned it before and with those who will own it after us: both in space and time. And ...
Awakening the Sleeping Giant
In the past, a damaged object used to be mended. Clothes were patched, pots and working tools were repaired. End-of-life materials’ recycling was normal. The throwaway civilization, though, re...
Better Remanufactured than New
“Take-make-dispose”: these are the key words describing the industrial system of the last 150 years. In other words, a system based on a linear production and consumption model where goo...