Circular Economy
Tondo for the Circular Economy
Tondo’s mission is to facilitate the implementation of the Circular Economy and act as a guide on the path to a circular future, exploring the key concepts and the benefits of such an approach and sharing success stories from around the world.
What is Circular Economy
The impact on our planet of the linear economic model centred on the imperatives “extract, produce, use and throw away” has become unsustainable from an environmental, social and economic triple bottom line. The Circular Economy stands as an antithetical to the linear model and represents a possible solution to global challenges such as climate change.
Circular Economy:
examples and case studies
The transition towards adopting a circular economic model requires the participation and commitment of everyone, from industries to institutions and citizens. Many companies operating in different sectors, such as textiles and fashion, food and beverage, construction, technology and innovation, packaging and cosmetics, are examples of virtuous realities where resources are used efficiently and responsibly, minimising environmental impact and creating value for all.
Circular Cities
Cities are crucial in addressing global challenges such as climate change, raw material dependency, waste management and biodiversity loss. They are responsible for the largest consumption of raw materials and greenhouse gas emissions and 50% of waste production. Therefore, the implementation of Circular Economy strategies within urban settings can have a positive impact on both environmental sustainability and the well-being of citizens.
European and Italian
Regulatory Framework
To address the inefficiency of the linear economic model, the Circular Economy is a key pillar in the European Agenda; the European Commission’s Action Plan for a New Circular Economy includes a series of regulations to guide recycling, reuse and product design practices. At the Italian level, Legislative Decree 116/2020 and the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) support the transition to a Circular Economy, with a focus on waste management and sustainability.
Measurement of Circularity
Measuring circularity through specific indicators tailored to the system to be analysed is increasingly essential to assess the effectiveness of the principles of the Circular Economy at the level of a company or product; such quantification allows organisations to identify the most critical points of their processes and make them more efficient with a view to sustainability. Among the indicators, the Circular Material Use Rate is the one that best represents the circularity of a system.
CSRD: Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive
The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) was introduced to incentivise and improve the transparency and accountability of companies regarding their environmental and social impact. The CSRD is a European regulation that requires companies to provide a detailed and accurate sustainability report, thus encouraging the adoption of Circular Economy practices that allow for improved performance in both environmental and economic terms.