In this article one GP assigned for the sixth Policy Gap (Policy focused on SMEs and micromanufacturing) is presented.
Policy Gaps 6 – Policy focused on SMEs and micromanufacturing
It refers to 2 main aspects reported: on one side the lack of tailored support to SME for their transition to CE; on the other one the lack of support for the creation micro-manufacturing processes sized on the local context.
Contribution of RETRACE Good Practice:
it supports the replicability and scalability of successful initiatives that can have an effective policy response.
Good Practice Example: Lavazza
The Italian coffee company, Lavazza, want to focus on the recovery and reuse of post-consumption Spent Coffee Grounds (SCG), collecting them from restaurants and cafes to make new valuable products. Many experiments have been carried out to make the SCG recovery feasible. Since 2007, first experiments on growing mushrooms have been carried out with the support of Lavazza.
Specifically, from 2013, they chose to do specific experiments on:
-The recovery of the oil fraction of the waste with the collaboration of Università degli Studi di Torino, Department of Drug Science and Technology, by experiencing extraction with microwave technology.
- The production of ink for screen-printing with the company Quasar ink, which was tested with the company Sericraft;
- The creation of paper with the company Favini;
-The cultivation of edible mushrooms with Il Giardinone.
This GP designs a new business model able to foresee the creation of companies aimed to enhance local waste and build new supply chains involving different stakeholders. Moreover, this process consists of a cascade-use of waste, through the extraction of oils and the exploitation of what it remains after that for several other activities. The GP focuses on recovering and reusing post consumption SCGs, collecting them from HORECA activities to make new valuable products which will be useful for different stakeholders. For instance, the production of paper in collaboration with Favini allowed the creation of a new valuable product which can be used by different SMEs for packaging, catalogues, brand...
