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16 marzo 2023

Glass and circular economy: CE Lab at Re-Use Lab event 2023

Fighting climate change by reducing CO2 emissions and waste production is possible, also thanks to circular glass packaging: this was the central theme of the Re-use Lab 2023 event promoted by Veralia, a French group that is one of the world's leading producers of glass packaging for beverages and food products and one of the most advanced companies in the circular economy. Among the guests of the event, held on 16 March 2023 in COPERNICO Isola for S32 in Milan, there was Daniele Accardi of Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center and Head of Circular Economy Lab.

In its 32 glass production establis, 3 decoration plants and 8 glass cullet processing centres in 11 different countries, the Veralia Group produces more than 16 billion glass bottles and jars every year for over 10,000 client companies, from local producers to major international brands, with a significant impact on production processes, reuse and recycling of glass itself, with the stated goal of to make this last the "most sustainable packaging material in the world".

As Veralia's recent history shows, the circular economy has become one of the main drivers of new investment opportunities in recent years. According to data from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, shared by the head of the Circular Economy Lab during his speech at Re-use Lab 2023, replacing 20% of single-use plastic packaging with reusable alternatives would unlock innovation opportunities worth more than 10 billion dollars, also thanks to the contribution of digital technologies and the increasingly marked change in consumer preferences.

It should be noted, in this context, how the new models of reuse in the B2C sector are already able to introduce circular innovations also with regard to the ownership of the packaging, which remains the responsibility of the manufacturer / distributor favoring a better remote interaction with the consumer. Client who, thanks to reverse logistics systems, is no longer forced to leave home to reload or return packaging, with further savings in terms of time and movement from own home.

"The Circular Economy Lab - concluded Daniele Accardi, in his speech on the Italian and European scenario of the circular economy - was born in 2018 with the aim of supporting and accompanying the transformation of the Italian economic system and spreading new models of value creation, accelerating the systemic transition to the Circular Economy through the lever of Open Innovation. This methodology provides a concrete answer enabling the research for external ideas and solutions, coming from the articulated network of innovation and which are often developed by startups and innovative realities".