Gestione delle risorse, della loro produttività e dei rifiuti

Member, for ISS, of the Italian national Delegation: Federica Tommasi
Italian National Institute of Health, Department of Environment and Health - DAMSA

The WPRPW OECD (Working Party on Resource Productivity and Waste) subgroup of the OECD's EPOC (Environment Policy Committee) developing policies that incentivise and encourage waste prevention, minimisation and recycling. Current work focuses on promoting the transition towards a circular economy in order to improve resource productivity and support green growth. This transformation requires significant changes to the way our economies operate, resulting in sectoral shifts, new business models and lower environmental impacts.

In 2019-22, the OECD focused its efforts to develop a better understanding of the macroeconomic effects of the circular economy through the use of in-house modeling tools seeking to improve understanding for resource efficiency in value chains (also studying the EPR / PRO schemes); the opportunities and challenges that digitalisation offers to the transition of the circular economy; the design of economic tools and waste prevention policies, as well as a strong focus on plastics and policy measures and initiatives that can help address the issue of single-use plastics and microplastics and improve the design of plastics to make it more sustainable.

Finally, efforts are also focusing on trade and circular economy issues. Over the years, the WP has addressed various issues with this approach: the theme of the Basel Convention within the OECD, the issue of “Plastics” (sustainable production - also with dedicated Technical Sub-Groups, recycling, plastic pollution not only in the seas, its impacts, and the macroeconomic implications of its management). Among others, particular attention is paid to "plastics", as they are one of the main streams of material waste where circularity is less developed and dispersions into the environment are putting marine ecosystems, but not only that one, in danger.

The support and participation of the Italian National Institute of Health (ISS) concerns the screening and review of the documents presented to the National Delegations, where plausible, with the Mission and Vision of the ISS - Protection of the Public Health - which mainly report, on one side, the Italian scientific and research production on Environment and Health issues, on the other citing the experiences in place in our country, on covered topics.

Among the projects, still ongoing, we recall the OECD Global Forum on Environment 2018: Plastics in a Circular Economy: Design of Sustainable Plastics from a Chemicals Perspective organized by WPRPW and the latest output Documents.

The WPRPW in its work also deals with the procedures for the updates of the OECD Council Decision [OECD / LEGAL / 0266], after the results of the 2019 Basel Convention updated at the UN level.