A circular economy and new sustainability models. A new University Centre in Padua
04.10.2021
As the city of Padua hosts the fifth edition of the Sustainable Development Festival (September 28 to October 14, 2021), the University begins preparing for the inauguration, on Thursday October 7, of a new centre dedicated to scientific research and fostering a dialogue between universities, companies, and civil society for the promotion of creating a circular economy.
The Centro di Studi per l'economia circolare – CEWMS (Circular Economy of Waste, Materials and Sustainability) is the result of a collaboration between the School of Engineering and 40 professors from various University Departments. Professors include those from the departments of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Management and Engineering, Biology, Chemical Sciences, Public, International and European Union Law, Economics and Management, Developmental Psychology and Socialisation Land, Environment, Agriculture and Forestry, and Geoscience.
A circular economy is a conceptual system, as opposed to a "linear" economic model. The linear economic model uses raw materials for the large-scale production of products used for mass consumption, products are disposed of (due to their short life cycle) and replaced; this creates waste management problems and drains the planet of its natural resources making it completely unsustainable.
Creating socio-economic strategies and developing new technologies are at the base of a circular economyby optimizing recycled materials, managing the sustainability of non-recyclable waste, developing energy-saving technologies and reducing CO2 emissions to protect the environment and ensure the health of all living things.
CEWMS will collaborate with the UniSMART Foundation along with local companies and businesses by organizing interdisciplinary research and the sharing of best practices. CEWMS will contribute towards achieving the sustainable development goals established by the United Nations 2030 Agenda and the interventions foreseen by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) in support of the circular economy.
Sustainability and developing a dialogue with civil society and scientific research is at the heart of the projects and activities organized by CEWMS, destined to become a point of reference and a place for the interdisciplinary discussion of circular economies.
