Waste as a valuable resource
SYMSITES’ presence at the Waste Management Europe Conference
The journey towards sustainable waste management begins long before the waste is created.
It is not enough to simply recycle and reuse waste. The choices made before the design and consumption of a product that reduce waste are key to creating a sustainable, circular economy that sees waste as a valuable resource.
Economic growth must be separated from resource depletion and environmental degradation, and this can be achieved by replacing the linear take-make-waste model with a circular economy framework.
These were the main messages conveyed by SYMSITES during the Waste Management Europe Conference (WME) which took place from 18-20 April in Bergamo, Italy.
Thanks to the presence of our partner ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, SYMSITES presented their vision, objectives, and deliverables at one of the most important events in the field.
WME brings together key stakeholders from the waste management sector, including government and policymaking representatives, as well as industry leaders from across Europe.
Through panel discussions, networking stands and interactive sessions, the event highlighted the latest innovations and best practices in waste management and the circular economy.
The panel discussions highlighted the need to improve knowledge sharing on the true value of waste. The lack of awareness is not limited to citizens alone: while the European Union sets universal targets for recycling waste, it often lacks a clear overview of what is possible in local contexts.
Effectively harmonizing rules becomes challenging when there are significant disparities among different places. For this reason, establishing more extensive dialogue with local authorities is essential to gain a better understanding of the needs of each country.
Presenting projects like SYMSITES in this context means not only sharing high-technology solutions to achieve a circular economy, but also raising awareness on the potential of waste across the entire production chain.
