International Journal of Waste Resources

Ten actions towards Zero Waste: Practical actions for Municipalities, citizens and companies

8^th World Congress and Expo on Recycling

June 25-26, 2018 | Berlin, Germany

Roberto Cavallo and Umberto Gianolio

E.R.I.C.A. soc. coop., Italy

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: Int J Waste Resour

Abstract:

Waste management today must come to terms with entirely new conditions. Up to a hundred years ago every product used by men was biodegradable or made with a simple chemical compound already present in the environment. The problems of pollution were therefore temporary, due to an excess of local concentration, destined to be resolved by themselves with the decrease of the anthropic pressure. The synthetic chemistry then paved the way for non-biodegradable, bioaccumulative and long-term toxic products. In addition, waste today is pervasive and spreads rapidly throughout the planet through rivers, lakes, oceans, emissions into the atmosphere ... What we "throw" into the environment lasts for thousands of years and produces irreversible damage. Definitely an inconvenient legacy for future generations. Dealing with a "zero waste" strategy is more than ever an act of profound responsibility and absolute necessity. Italy is the first nation in the world for the number of administrations, territorial realities and movements committed on the path towards "zero waste". The text presents the best Italian experiences towards "zero waste" and proposes guidelines to public administrations, businesses and citizens to prevent the negative impacts of waste. It deals with the following topics: waste prevention, reuse, recycling, recycling (supply chains, valorization, reproduct), organic waste and composting, economic instruments, eco-design as a waste prevention tool, communicating with citizens, the analysis of undifferentiated waste and the extended responsibility of the producer, what to do with what seems to be non-recyclable.
Recent Publications
1. Cavallo R, Cipriano V (2006) �?? Economical Instruments on waste management in Compedium ACR+ 2006 Annual anthology of diverse papers on key contemporary issues in European policies on wastes, products & resources. ACR+. Bruxelles 141-153.
2. Dai Tiejun (2011) The influence of iron flow on iron resource efficiency in the steel manufacturing process. Resources, Conservation and Recycling 55(8):760-771.
3. Edens B and Graveland C (2014) Experimental valuation of Dutch water resources according to SNA and SEEA. Water Resources and Economics 7:66-81.
4. Nakajima M, Kimura A and Wagner B (2015) Introduction of material flow cost accounting (MFCA) to the supply chain: a questionnaire study on the challenges of constructing a low-carbon supply chain to promote resource efficiency. Journal of Cleaner Production 108(1):1302-1309.
5. Sulong F, Sulaiman M and Norhayati M A (2015) Material flow cost accounting (MFCA) enablers and barriers: the case of a Malaysian small and medium-sized enterprise (SME). Journal of Cleaner Production 108(1):1365-1374.

Biography :

Roberto Cavallo was born in Turin in 1970. He is graduated in agronomical sciences and an international expert in environmental management, protection and safeguard. He is the cofounder of E.R.I.C.A. soc. coop., a leading company in technical consulting and environmental communication for public administrations and private firms. He is the author of several books and essays among which "Meno 100 kg. Recipes for a diet of our trash can" and "The Bible of ecology".

E-mail: roberto.cavallo@cooperica.it