Comieco started in 1985 as an association of environment‐friendly paper mills and paper and board manufacturers; today it gathers over 3,500 italian companies.
Thanks to the virtuous cycle established between the institutions, companies, and citizens, recycling has achieved significant results, by which Italy ranks high in Europe: the 60% packaging recycling target set by the EU was reached in 2005, three years in advance. Results achieved by Comieco: Recovery: 77.8% – Recycling: 69.7%
Paper and board packaging supported the growth of the Italian economy, the number 8th in the world, ‘dressing’ made‐in‐Italy products thanks to a paper industry closely focused on technological innovation and environmental sustainability. This sector, in fact, managed to preserve its competitiveness in time through an increased use of recycled paper. In ten years, Italy won the silver medal in Europe, following Germany by number of tons of collected material; it became self‐sufficient in terms of procurement (with the related export growth) and, at the same time, it limited waste disposal in landfills.
In the past few years, recycled paper and board, enabled the development of eco‐products made with recycled fibres: from lamps to chairs, from jewels to book‐cases, paper and board revealed their potentials in the creation of beautiful, emotional, and sustainable objects.
Paper can only be recycled if separated from other waste: hence the need for separate waste collection. A few‐minutes action in our daily life is crucial for the well‐being of the whole community. A deed that involves all the citizens directly in shaping the future of the world, and satisfies their conscience and public spirit. In addition to that, every year paper and board recycling allows to avoid carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere for a quantity equal to the levels produced by the entire urban traffic in one week in Italy.
On of the examples of the innovation promotion of Comieco is Life. Life is a recyled paper-made water container designed for Milano Expo 2015 presented to Comieco Expopack Design Competition in 2011. It is designed to provide an essential service into the expo area and the city of Milan: the free access and the use of public water. It’s a product designed to promote the reduction of plastic containers and a sustainable culture about water and natural resources.
Several access points inside Milan and the Expo area will provide the container for free and the visitors will use it as a 1 day bottle, refilling it several times during the tour. Made by recycled paper, it doesn’t use any chemical ink or adhesive difficult to be recycled. A double stitch ensures the insulation from outside and give rigidity to the object. The green cord, that allows the users to bring it as a shoulder bag, is made by natural cotton and is wrapped around the paper body.
Comments by our Users
Be the first to write a comment for this item.