WHERE: Italy (Lombardia Region)
WHEN: 2009 – Present (Ongoing)
WASTE MANAGEMENT HIERARCHY: Recycling: Reuse – Reprocessing
TYPE OF INSTRUMENT: Voluntary/promotional
WASTE STREAMS: Municipal waste, Industrial waste

About: ReMade in Italy’s certification scheme evaluates products made from pre-consumer or post-consumer material diverted from the waste stream. It measures the percentage of recycled content for the purpose of making an accurate claim in the market. In this regard, it also represents a useful tool for Public administrations and companies, to identify the recycled products for „Green Public Procurement”, made mandatory in Italy by the law (Legislative Decree 50/2016).

Objectives

• promoting recycled products through independent third party certification

 Certification attests the traceability of production, starting from the verification of the source of input raw materials, to the finished product, representing a tool for transparency and simplification for Green Public Procurement and the private market. For the public administration, certified products mean a guarantee of the environmental requirement on recycling materials and products for all sectors.

Resources

The certification scheme is governed by ReMade in Italy a non-profit organization, non-governmental organization founded in 2009, legally recognized, gathering companies that realize recycled products in various category (building, street furniture, office furniture, schools, textiles and many more). The Association is independent and reinvests revenues in institutional activities supporting Associated Companies for self-promoting on the public and private market and in strengthening the relationship with the competent Institutions.

Knowhow: ReMade in Italy’s certification scheme is developed through the use of a deep understanding of the industrial processes involved in the production of recycled products in various category (building, street furniture, office furniture, schools, textiles, etc.). At the end of the certification process, a label can be issued to the Company, showing product’s recycled material content, with the assignment of the relevant class.

The label also explain the environmental impacts resulting from the recycling process, in terms of reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and energy saving in comparison with the production of the same item with raw materials. The label can be directly affixed to the finished product, in its data sheets and Reports, for a strong communication with consumers, ever more environmentally aware.

Results

One of the products that obtained Remade in Italy certification is the regenerated base oil produced by Viscolube. The product was assigned an A+ relevant recycling class as it is 100% made of recycled material content (waste lubricating oil). The environmental impacts resulting from this recycling process as compared with the production of the same item with raw materials are the following:
– An energy saving of 5,215 MJ/MG
– A reduction of greenhouse gas emissions of 609 Kg CO2/MG

Urban metabolism relevance

ReMade in Italy certifies the traceability of production within the same production chain, from the verification of the origins of incoming raw materials to the output of the certified products, making it a tool specifically recognized in Green Public Procurement as a model for the verification of the quality and sustainability of recycling. This is an important contribution in terms of circular economy as the quality of recycling plays a key role in increasing the capacity of the market to absorb recycled products.

Innovation

In 2013 Accredia (Italian National Accreditation Body) recognized it as the first certification scheme in Italy and Europe to verify the recycled content in a product. Remade in Italy’s certification schemes aims at promoting products made from reuse and recycled materials, thus they are requiring high levels of product and process innovation within the existing economic activities.

Sustainability and replicability

ReMade in Italy’s certification scheme has grown considerably in its 9 years of implementation and is supported by relevant stakeholders in waste management, which demonstrates that it is a useful and sustainable measure.  Developing a similar certification scheme could be an important opportunity for other countries to promote, at national and international level, local recycled products and to increase Green Public Procurement (GPP) uptake by public authorities. ReMade in Italy has been recognized as „good practice for Green Public Procurement” by the European Commission in the „Environmental Implementation Report – Italy” (February 2017).

Success Factors

Preparation of the site in an appropriate manner for the delivery, collection and sale of used but still usable goods, outside the waste collection and assimilated circuits.
Management of the center made by an already experienced association of second-hand markets. The staff has to be able to receive only consumer goods that are still in good condition (even from a hygienic point of view) and that can be effectively re-used for their original uses, purposes and purposes.

Key Challenges

• reluctance of some stakeholders to obtain certification

Info

For more information, please check the deliverable, or contact the implementing body.

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