Italy is among the most efficient European countries in the use of resources and waste recycling. But this primacy does not yet translate into an equally solid industrial advantage. The country invests less in the circular economy than the European average and struggles to bring the technologies developed in the laboratories to a production scale.
It is the gap that Fabio Fava, professor of Industrial and Environmental Biotechnology at the University of Bologna and president of the Ecomondo International Technical Scientific Committee, indicates as one of the main obstacles to the ecological transition. From ecodesign to regenerative bioeconomy, up to chemical recycling and the recovery of critical metals, industrial opportunities exist. The question is to create the conditions to exploit them.
Ecomondo 2026 focuses on an ecological transition that does not limit itself to reducing environmental impacts, but profoundly transforms production systems. Where are we at? And how ready are European companies to change their industrial model?
"I believe that companies are ready, even if the geopolitical context is particularly complex and international emergencies are shifting the attention of governments and European institutions towards other priorities. Today, declaring ourselves sustainable is no longer enough: we need to intervene concretely on production processes and consumption models. We must face the triple planetary crisis, represented by climate change, pollution and loss of biodiversity. We have important knowledge and technologies, but we must transfer them more quickly to industry and cities. The transformation must proceed on two fronts: reducing the pressure exerted on the environment from production activities and urban consumption and, at the same time, restore already compromised ecosystems. The evidence shows that economic growth and decarbonisation can proceed together: in recent decades the European and American economies have grown while emissions have reduced".
Italy is among the most advanced European countries in the recycling and recovery of materials, but encounters greater difficulties in transforming this record into a stable industrial advantage. Is that so?
"The data confirm our European leadership. For every kilogram of material used we generate around 4.7 euros of GDP, thanks to a historic ability to valorise raw materials, also due to their scarcity in our country. The circular use rate of materials reaches 21.6%, compared to 12.2% of the European average, while the share of recycled waste stands at around 85.6%, approximately double that of the Union (41.2%). Yet the contribution of the economy circular economy to Italian GDP is equal to 1.6%, compared to 1.8% in Europe, and investments in the sector represent 0.5% of GDP, compared to 0.8% of the EU average. We therefore have an efficient system, but we must strengthen the ability to enhance our innovation to make the national circular economy more competitive".
How can we transform this primacy into a more solid industrial advantage?
"We have an important heritage of research and innovation, but many technologies developed in laboratories and optimized in pilot plants have not yet been transferred to an industrial scale. A priority area is ecodesign, that is, the design of products considering their entire life cycle from the beginning, so that they are more durable, easily repairable, reusable and ultimately recyclable. The use of digital technologies to promote efficiency and circularity in the various production chains is also still insufficient. The skills exist: we must accelerate them industrial application”.
Is using recycled materials really competitive for a company today compared to the use of virgin raw materials? What are the main obstacles?
"In some cases yes, in others no. Much depends on regulatory and market conditions. Let's think about bioplastics produced from renewable raw materials rather than oil: there is still a lack of sufficiently clear and differentiated regulatory recognition that allows them to be valorised compared to conventional plastics. Without adequate certification and labeling tools it becomes difficult to direct public and private purchases towards these materials, which often have higher costs. Plastics of biological origin can help reduce the use of fossil carbon and climate-altering emissions. However, it is necessary to distinguish renewable origin from biodegradability, because not all bioplastics are biodegradable. We need rules capable of recognizing these differences and supporting the development of a competitive market".
Ecomondo also recalls the need to replenish natural capital. How do we go from a model that consumes fewer resources to one capable of regenerating them?
"It is the principle of the regenerative bioeconomy: using biological resources in a sustainable way, also valorising agricultural, forestry, industrial and urban by-products. Non-food biomass, plant residues and the organic fraction of waste can be transformed, through biotechnological processes, into chemical compounds, materials and biobased fuels of industrial interest, for example in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, chemical, textile and energy sectors. But regeneration also means preserving the fertility of the soil, restoring the organic substance in the soil and adopting sustainable agricultural practices. In In Italy we have around two million hectares of no longer used agricultural land: part of it could be recovered through the industrial valorisation of their native biomass or the cultivation of non-food biomass destined for biorefineries, creating new economic and employment opportunities in the territories".
What public and private tools can accelerate this transformation and make it economically sustainable?
"It is first of all necessary to recognize the value of the products obtained from the new bioeconomy supply chains, creating favorable conditions for their diffusion and use. An example is Porto Torres, in Sardinia, where the reconversion of a traditional petrochemical site towards the production of innovative biobased products has opened up opportunities for integration between agriculture and industry and for the regeneration of the territory. To multiply these experiences, adequate certifications of biobased products are needed, tools that encourage demand and support for investments for the transfer of innovation on an industrial scale. When a technology reaches industrial scale, processes can be optimized and costs progressively reduced. But to get there we need to accompany the growth of new supply chains."
Looking ahead to the next decade, which other supply chains have the greatest potential to benefit from the circular economy and bioeconomy?
"One of the most important is that of plastics. So far we have focused mainly on mechanical recycling, generally less expensive, but which can lead to a progressive deterioration in the quality of the materials. Chemical recycling, still little developed in Europe, in some cases allows the polymers to be broken down into the original monomers, from which to produce materials again with characteristics similar to the initial ones. It is a more expensive process, but with significant industrial potential. Another strategic sector is that of electrical and electronic waste, rich in metals such as lithium, nickel, cobalt and copper, as well as other critical materials. Technologies such as bio- and hydrometallurgy and advanced separation systems can improve the recovery of these resources. Artificial intelligence can then contribute to making production processes, but also those of waste selection and valorisation, more efficient."
