Reuse, repair, don't waste: one in two Italians chooses to recycle used items.

USED ​​RECOVERY –

The number of Italians choosing the used marketWe're talking about clothing, furniture, electrical and electronic appliances, which are thus reused and not wasted. One in two Italians resorts to second-hand goods, not wasting what they would otherwise throw away. or in the circuits of the Consortia of recovery materials (often subsidized by the public purse). Around this market, parallel to the new products, a network of thousands of second-hand shops has been created, mostly family-run, with young people finding an opportunity to work, income, and stability. That's no small thing.

TO LEARN MORE: The second-hand market is worth €18 billion. Nearly 40 percent of purchases are made online.

RECOVERY OF USED EQUIPMENT AS AN ANSWER TO THE CRISIS –

It is clear that behind this phenomenon there are also the avalanche effects of the Great Crisis, and some new lifestyles and the behavior of Italians who seek savings but have also understood that one should not waste objects and indulge in compulsive shopping.

REUSE AND DON'T WASTE FOR NEW ECONOMIC GROWTH –

In reverse, many things can be done well reuse, or repair, with far-reaching benefits, from the economy to the environmentAnd also for the commercial system, which can benefit from reuse and second-hand goods, as its development will push each producer and distributor to improve innovation, quality-to-price ratio, and the durability of the goods marketed. In short: reusing well, and not wasting, is, as we often repeat, a lever for new economic growth. To the benefit of everyone.

ALSO READ: In times of economic crisis, people are returning to farming. A boom in young farmers.

It is the new civilization of sharing and being together that is advancing with great strides in Italy, the one we have described in the book Selfishness is over (Einaudi) and which we disseminate through our website.

TO KNOW MORE: Passamano, the Bolzano shop where you can only pay by bartering.