A reflection by Paolo Mazza, CEO of Mercado Circular.
For more than 50 years, Environment Day has been celebrated on June 5, an occasion that invites us to reflect on our consumption habits, the power that, as consumers and through our decisions and loyalties, we have over the brands we consume, and the waste we generate.
But the idea of this day is not only to reflect, but to promote models that we can use, both from companies and consumers, to truly take care of the environment, for example, assuming the need to reduce packaging and plastic containers that are so polluting and that we throw away as waste. after using any product is a very good way to avoid contamination.
This is how this day I want to invite you to reduce your waste, and to promote a “culture of reuse” that benefits us all. And in that sense, we must all do our part by contributing to the reuse of packaging and being more aware of our environmental impact. Every little effort counts.
Law 20,920 REP, which has Extended Producer Responsibility as its main instrument, has taken significant steps, prohibiting single-use plastics and creating a Circular Economy Law, which helps us in the significant reduction of solid waste sent to final disposal, an example of what can be achieved when sustainable policies are adopted; but there is much more that as citizens we can do, push, educate and empower.
We must think twice if it is possible to reuse things, repair them instead of buying new things, or if it is possible to refill containers instead of consuming new packaging each time. It is part of the actions that as citizens we can incorporate into our daily lives.
And we must also demand from manufacturers solutions that do not pollute, demand that they join the commitment to reduce their impact and the footprint they generate with the sale of their products. And from our role as a consumer, we must reward with our loyalty those who incorporate sustainable options in their offering.
We citizens have the power in our hands, we must use it responsibly.
Paolo Mazza, CEO Circular Market