Follow that Waste!
It’s easy to talk about the circular economy. The moment waste is recycled, we start talking about the circular economy. Such statement, to be fair, can be defined as superficial. The apparent...
Missing the Blue
Italy’s regions launched a public consultation, a referendum, concerning the drilling rights of companies mining for oil and gas off-shore, within 12 miles of the beautiful Italian Coast. The ...
Cunning and Lateral
When I occasionally meet the general public I happen to use the following problem, which is totally fictitious, there is no scientific activity of this kind. I say: a recent research shows that in C...
Fairtrade Carrier Bags
The articles we publish in this issue of Renewable Matter on the problem of carrier bags help look at the link between environmental and social issues with a fresh pair of eyes. The association bet...
How Brexit Will Penalize the Bioeconomy
Media is full of news and analyses on Brexit. All European households are talking about it, whereas politicians, investors, entrepreneurs and foreign citizens living in the United Kingdom (and vic...
In Italy, 90% of Waste is Still off the Radar
This is the snapshot of the “dark half” of the circular economy. The flows coming into the urban, agricultural and industrial circuits are under the spotlight and they are carefully meas...
Connett: Creative Communities to Win the Waste Challenge
Paul Connett is considered the “father” of the Zero Waste Strategy, which regrettably often has become a slogan with no real meaning. We asked him to tell us what the state of ...
The Revival of Eco-Local Materials
The innovative use of poor materials (wood, straw and other vegetable materials, earth and stone) is becoming more and more popular in residential buildings, both in public works and in large buildi...
Children of a Lesser God
According to the calculations of the European Commission each of the 28 member countries produces, on average, a mountain of about 173 million tons of waste from C&D (Construction and Demolition...
Houses in Hot Pursuitof Cars
If 30 years ago a mid-range car would run at ten litres of petrol per 100 kilometres, today, a hybrid model only needs a little over three. That’s an incredible evolution for the transport se...
Rwanda's War on Plastic
This article was published on Works That Work, No. 7, worksthatwork.com/7 Translation from Kinyarwanda: “The use of non-biodegradable plastic bags is forbidden&rdqu...
Flowers from Africa
We Europeans often think we are at the forefront with regard to environmental protection. We can show the world how to look after nature and how to reduce waste. More importantly, we can teach the b...
When Loans Go Social
Hands up those who are surprised to know that Italians’ confidence in the banking system has reached a historical low, which collapsed from 30% in 2005 to 10% at the end of 2015. A negative re...
Biomass is the Engine of the Canadian Bioeconomy
Jeff Passmore If biomass is the essential element for the development of the bioeconomy, Justin Trudeau-led country can rightly claim a leadership role in the field. A...
The Future Starts from Wood
“By 2030, we will need 50% more food, 45% more energy and 30% more water. The solution is the bioeconomy.” Reading the opening lines of the portal devoted to the bioeconomy (yes, a whole...
The Bio Plant is Growing Fast
High production volumes achieved through growing investments in advanced technologies and technical means aimed at increasing productivity (fertilizers) and reducing risks (phytochemicals) caused by...
A Europe At Full GPP
For once, we are top of the class. Italy has just made GPP (Green public procurement) compulsory after years of scarcely effective advice. Now, thanks to the new procurement code, all publ...
Public Procurements Get even Greener
Structural funds are an intervention tool created and managed by the European Union, sever-year programmes so that member States can embark on smart, inclusive and sustainable growth where the susta...
The Concrete Way
It increases the safety of road tunnels in case of fire, it dramatically reduces energy consumption for lighting and has a considerably longer life expectancy compared to other materials used for ro...
Bioenergy Integrated in the Bio-based Economy is Needed to Meet Climate Targets
The 24th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition in Amsterdam has provided a unique overview of the state of play of the biomass sector and of its fundamental role in achieving the transition to ...