Circular economy: ENEA and Federdistribuzione together for eco-friendly packaging

A pact to develop innovative models encouraging companies in the Modern Organized Distribution (MOD) and consumers to adopt increasingly virtuous behaviors and synergistic actions favouring green jobs, and identify resources and funds to help the sector of circular economy take off in Italy. These are the main topics of the agreement signed by ENEA and Federdistribuzione (the voice of the MOD in Italy), a long-term program that focuses on the world of MOD to promote sustainability through concrete actions and tools made available to companies and consumers.

"Organized Modern Distribution can play a strategic role in spreading more sustainable and efficient consumption models and innovative solutions to reduce waste, optimize production of goods and services and recovery of materials. In view of this, the agreement between ENEA and Federdistribuzione is of particular importance, because it focuses on the circular economy and, consequently, the development of joint actions, also of operational nature, which envisage the potential involvement of a wide audience of MOD consumers and companies ", Federico Testa, President of ENEA, pointed out.

"Together with our associated companies, we have long been committed to the issues of sustainability and the circular economy. We were the first association in Italy to create a Sustainability Report for the Sector of Modern Organized Distribution (BSS) in 2012 and in the 2020 edition there will be a chapter dedicated to the circular economy. The agreement with ENEA represents an important step of this journey, marking an alliance capable of producing concrete effects for companies and communities. Together we will be able to be more effective in addressing issues of great current interest such as plastics, on which we have already made specific commitments," Claudio Gradara, President of Federdistribuzione, said.

At the operational level, ENEA will make available methodologies, processes and innovative technological solutions to identify efficiency and reduction paths in distribution, consumption and post-consumer phases.

In particular, the collaboration with Federdistribuzione and its associated companies will be launched on some main lines of activity: the study and definition of a multi-approach model of collection for different types of waste or other objects brought by consumers to MOD stores; the analysis of the deposit systems for returning packaging to stores to verify their compliance with organizational and regulatory standards; the analysis and identification of alternative materials for packaging bulk and pre-packaged items, also in close relation to the projects and research on plastic-free materials ENEA is conducting.

As for plastic, a very hot topic at the moment, Federdistribuzione has already started concrete actions for consumer education. The ban on the sale of plastic disposable crockery by the EU directive for 2021, was anticipated by Federdistribuzione and its associates with the introduction of "alternative" products, recyclable and compostable crockery, already in July 2019.  It’s the begining of a 12-month journey which will phase- out 13 billion non-recyclable products from the shelves of over 15 thousand stores by 30 June 2020.

Careful attention will also be paid to new green jobs, with a view not only to education but also to new job opportunities in a scenario of great change. The protocol foresees the joint preparation of materials and seminars to give young people tools for integration and company growth, creating the green workers of the future.

This great change can also be facilitated and accelerated by the availability of funds and the capability of identifying them. The last point of the protocol points out that Federdistribuzione and ENEA will conduct a scouting activity in Italy and in Europe to evaluate the opportunities that may arise, and then engage in converting ideas that can be financed into application, combining the competence of ENEA and the implementation capacity of Federdistribuzione.