As part of the Festival of Sustainable Development in Parma, the conference organized by CNA Parma, entitled “Processing residue: an added value?” took place last Friday 17 May at the Santa Elisabetta Center on the University Campus. Circular Design as a strategy for the sustainable development of SMEs.” The challenge is to combine economic growth and environmental responsibility, through the concept of Circular Designa design approach that is based on the continuous regeneration of materials, eliminating the concept of waste.
They discussed this very topical issue, interviewed by the Green Planner journalist Maria Cristina Ceresathe experts: Laura BadaluccoProfessor of Circular Design at the IUAV University of Venice, Alessio MalcevschiProfessor of Food Sustainability at the University of Parma, Luigi Galimbertifounder of Sfera Agricola, Massimiliano Spallanzani Commercial Director of Ecobloks e Valerio VinacciaFounder of Á NAK O.
To open the works, Paolo Giuffredi President of CNA Parma who, welcoming the guests present, underlined the Association’s continuous commitment to raising awareness among entrepreneurs about the ecological transition, as a determining key for the sustainable and economic development of the business system.
In her speech, Prof. Badalucco stated that the design phases can affect almost 80% of the environmental impacts connected to the product and that in the design of the circular economy we are thinking above all on the principle of prevention, no longer on managing the problem, but in preventing it. Sustainable consumption therefore requires re-imagining production in regenerative processes in which the concept of waste does not exist, but represents a resource to give life to a new product cycle.
Alessio Malcevschi, however, highlighted the importance of biochar, an innovative technology in the field of chemistry applied to agriculture. Based on an advanced organic synthesis process, the biochar is a highly efficient organic fertilizer that promises to revolutionize sustainable agricultural practices, bringing ecological and economic benefits.
Immediately afterwards, it was Luigi Galimberti’s moment, who brought the innovative example of Sfera Agricola’s activity, which combines hydroponic technology with specific management practices to obtain efficient and eco-sustainable production. The target? Growing the best tomato in the world, thanks to the maintenance of ancient genetics and the elimination of heavy metals and pesticides, ensured by laboratory analyzes constantly carried out on the fruits, water and nutrients to be administered to the plants.
Next, Massimiliano Spallanzani took the floor and presented the company Ecobloks Srl, engaged in the production of pallets, structures used to optimize the packaging of goods during transport. Ecoblocks confirms its excellence in Europe for recycling materials to produce pallet blocks, using wood from waste collection and, consequently, excluding the use of virgin wood as raw material. A totally sustainable production process where the blocks, already ecological by their nature, once they reach the end of their life cycle, are recycled to become raw material again, fueling a potentially infinite virtuous circle.
In conclusion, Valerio Vinaccia intervened, presenting a project developed in collaboration with CNA Parma, which consists in the search for companies intending to set up a circular economy process
within its own production and in the development of prototypes together with the design faculties of various international universities. Furthermore, thanks to the artisan activity of producing ecological furniture for children, Valerio Vinaccia presented the example of a product of Circular Designa toy made of beech and ash wooden cubes, produced from waste from the production of beds.
