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...
The Match is still to be played
The match on circular economy is still to be played. And the European Parliament will make its voice heard on the measures proposed by the EU Commission last December replacing those of July 2014. T...
Time for a Copernican Revolution
She calls it “a Copernican revolution”. And the circular economy certainly is. Because, as Franco Battiato put it, it changes the world’s perspectives, placing sustainabi...
The Bioeconomy: The Netherlands in Pole Position
Top universities and research centres, innovative start-ups and large companies, clusters, pilot plants, a cutting-edge logistic system and agriculture and chemistry as the economy’s driving f...
Quo vadis sharing economy?
Bologna-based 35-year-old Valentina, with a degree in viola at the conservatory, is often travelling both for work as a musician and for passion. “To save money, but mainly to feel at home&rdq...
How to Eradicate the Trash Islands
Not all plastics are indestructible. In fact, over the years, due to the constant inaction by the Countries, plastics are liable to end up not only at sea – thus making up the above-mentioned ...
6000 Years Old and Still Going Strong
“Why use up the forests which were centuries in the making and the mines which required ages to lay down, if we can get the equivalent of forest and mineral products in the annual growth of th...
When Luxury Goes Hand in Hand with Sustainability
Upcycling upon upcycling. This is how we could define the new upcycling experience carried out by Favini based on the use of wine pomace after the distillation process for the production of paper: t...