Circular Innovation & Sustainable Commodities

Accelerating the transition to a circular economy is the current challenge for institutions, cities, production districts, organisations and individuals.

Alongside the many virtuous initiatives at the micro level, increasingly systemic and integrated circular models for sustainability must be developed and established.

The transition requires overcoming regulatory constraints, providing resources and raising awareness at all levels of society. The local urban dimension is the one where the transition process can be facilitated: built-up areas can interpenetrate with productive and commercial activities and services, public green spaces can alternate with areas devoted to urban agriculture. It is in this context that local decision-makers must promote policies of innovation, regeneration and cohesion.

 

What is Circular Economy?

For a local administrator it is mainly connected to waste management. For an entrepreneur it can represent the opportunity to recover and reuse by-products and materials for his production process. An urban planner can consider it as a model of recovery and reuse of an empty building.

Circular Economy does not mean only reduction of waste. on the contrary it means enhancing what is considered waste can be used in an innovative way as second raw material or for the production of energy. But it also means rethinking cities and our lifestyles, with the promotion of social cohesion. 

Each step of a product’s life cycle, from the supply of raw materials and commodities to design, from manifacturing to distribution, must minimize the consumption of resources and at the same time the waste produced.

The Unit mainly operates in the following fields, click to know more:

Cities are the main drivers of economic development and the production districts introduce a bio-uniqueness principle among the urban and industrial dimension at a territorial level. The circular economy offers great opportunities for innovation and sustainability of cities and their production systems.

Circular transition at
urban level

Each step of a product’s life cycle, from the provision of raw materials and commodities to design, from production to distribution, must minimize the amount of resources and at the same time the waste produced.

Sustainable
production chains

Organisations engaged in sustainable practices should create a storytelling on a product or service in order to explain how it relates to circularity.

Innovation,
environment and quality

For further information please contact:

Leonardo Borsacchi
Unit Coordinator
leonardo.borsacchi[at]unifi.it

Find out a selection of our projects

luppoleto sperimentale birra filiera corta Prato hop beer sustainable supply chain

Memorandum of Understanding for a hop garden for the production of ‘made in Prato’ craft beer

flowtex distretto tessile textile fiber prato piattaforma informatica digital platform Prato

FLOWTEX, fostering circular innovation and technology transfer in the textile district in Prato

SPEED spezie spices seeds semienti semi nepal filieri imprese sociali business plan value chain catene di valore

Development of the spices and seeds value chains to foster youth and women empowerment in Nepal

RESET mediterraneo mediterranean sustaianble green business imprese ecosostenibili

RESET – Capitalizing on best practices to support the creation of green businesses in the Mediterranean

prato circualr city transizione circolare economia circolare ricerca

Prato Circular City: the integrated strategy for the circular transition of the city of Prato

nature-based-solution-agropontino-venezia-innovazione-circolare

Sustainability of Nature Based Solutions (NBS) interventions for water treatment in agricultural contexts

cooperatives cooperative agricole laboratori certificazione agricoltura valle della Bekaaa Beqa'a Libano Lebanon produce fruit vegetables laboratories cooperatives agri-food supply chains

Reorganisation of agricultural cooperatives and optimisation of laboratory procedures for agricultural products in Lebanon

Pianosa Gorgona percorsi formativi economia circolare agricoltura detenuti sviluppo ricerca circular economy training agriculture for inmates detainees convicts on islands Tuscany development

Inserimento lavorativo e formazione in Economia Circolare, agricoltura e sostenibilità per i detenuti delle isole di Gorgona e Pianosa

urge rgban cities circular cities economia circoalre

Project URGE and Circular Economy, technical and scientific support for the Municipality of Prato

circular economy social business imprese sociali SIRCLES agricoltura biowaste management gestione dei rifiuti ambiente riciclo riuso

SIRCLES, fostering inclusive employment opportunities in the Circular Economy sector

Peace steps enabling ecosystems for social enterprises palestina ecosistema favorevoli per imprese sociali palestina

Peace Steps in Palestine : mid-term evaluation & Support to the creation of an Ethical Charter

cacao cocoa ecuador need analysis sostenibilità sviluppo sustainability development arco arcolab

Need Analysis to promote the sustainability of small cocoa producer communities in Ecuador

canna da zucchero sugar cane supply chain filiera el salvador sustainable food commodities alimenti sostenibili consulenza arco arcolab

Promoting the sustainability of the sugar cane supply chain in El Salvador

need analysis produttori di fave di cacao in Togo of smma producers of cocoa beans

Need Analysis to foster the sustainability of cocoa beans farmers in Togo

campagna promozione formaggio Piave DOP IGP

Evaluation of the promotion campaign for Piave DOP cheese in Austria, Germany and Italy

circualr economy economia circolare ricerca acqua water research European Commission Commissione Europea

Partnership for the Urban Agenda on Circular Economy, a European network

projects aloe vera sustainable food jordan coltivazione giordania alimenti sostenibili arco

Aloe Vera, a crop to revive the economy of Karak, Jordan

Cycle economia circolare nella formazione per adulti

Cycle: il progetto per integrare l’economia circolare nella formazione per adulti

projects indagine sostenibilità della filiera delle ciliege bulgaria albania sustainability supply chain cherry cherries alimenti sstenibili sustainable food commodities

Improving the sustainability in the cherry supply chain in Bulgaria and Turkey

qualità ciliegie libano quality label Lebanon Bekaa Valley cherries sustainable food commodities alimenti sostenibili

Towards the creation of a quality label for the cherries from the Bekaa Valley

datteri palestina filier supply chain alimenti sostenibili sustainable food commodities dates

Improving quality management in a Palestinian date cooperative

sostenibilità produzione di canna da zucchero Mauritius alimenti sostenibili sustainable food commodities loal development

Needs analysis for sustainable sugarcane production in Mauritius