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JUN. JUL. 2019 VII plastic. It is the case with Agenzia Lombarda, the foodservice operator associated with the CIC-Cooperativa Italiana Packaging. “In the last few months,” says Massimo Sassi, owner of Agenzia Lombarda, “we’ve had to ensure to add new articles in biodegradable plastic or cellulose pulp as our customers begin to be more sensitive on the subject, in view of the drastic environmental situation. In part, we were also obliged by the regulations that will come into force in a relatively short period of time, forcing the replacement of part of the articles in plastic. For now, the articles that are most requested are the different types of plates (flat, soup, dessert). Few premises use the cutlery, the glasses are hardly requested.” In fact, at least at the moment, the Directive does not mention glasses among the products for which you can no longer use plastic. It will only be seen over time, with the enactment of national implementing decrees, whether they will be included or not. It is not so simple, however, from an operational point of view to find alternatives. “The main factor,” he continues, “is undoubtedly the price because, compared to plastic, the biodegradable material, as well as the dustbin or shopping bags themselves, have high prices. For this, being a disposable material and of continuous consumption, the customer tends to use them as least as possible. Even the suppliers themselves are not yet well organised and supplied with lines with particular shapes or capacities. In the field of plastic products, however, the choice is almost endless. Precisely for this reason producers try to keep our prices competitive, even if the raw material has a high cost. Finally, there are still problems with authorisations and certifications: manufacturers are still adapting to the change.” ______________________________ AT PAGE 20 IN DEPTH Sustainability? It is necessary and saves money Here is how and why restaurants should adopt environmentally- friendly practices, right from the start. A green approach is good for the balance sheet, as well as the environment By Anna Muzio It was Greta Thunberg, the sixteen- year-old Swede, who awakened the consciences of Davos with a speech that became famous: “Our house is on fire”. A message that has had more echo in countries such as Italy that in her homeland, already made aware. For us, the issue was less heard of. In the course of the recent Festival for Sustainable Development in Milan, companies joined together in the Alliance of Italian for Sustainable Development (ASviS) complained about the absence of appropriate policies, asking for a meeting with the Government. The European elections saw great success for the green party in many countries, but environmental policies seemed to be totally outside the Italian political debate. Yet, that sustainability is “the” issue of the future, apart from Greta, the numbers and experts say so. And if, for once, it was the restaurants who made the sprinted for the line? It is proposed by the president of Fipe, Lino Stoppani, who writes from the pages of Mixer: “The responsibility of public establishments is also to be “public” and to know how to generate uses and habits, to spread good (or bad) practices, feeding a social awareness or refocusing common indifference.” But what does it mean to become a sustainable establishment? WHAT GOES ON THE PLATE “The food is both a victim and perpetrator of climate change; is the first agent of change and the first link which connects us to the Planet,” said Claudia Laricchia, coordinator of the Future Food for Climate Change by Envisioning Forum sponsored by the IED in Milan, very effectively. For some customers, finding organic food on their plates may be a reason to pay more (they already do so at the supermarket). But organic and sustainable do not always go hand- in-hand. Account should be taken of logistics, water consumption and CO2 emissions. Cattle emit methane, a greenhouse gas more damaging than carbon dioxide. And fishing is depopulating the seas. In Australia 40 chefs have signed on to the Good Fish Project in which they undertake to serve only sustainable seafood. Ben Shewry’s restaurant in Melbourne Attica, 20th in the ranking of the Top 50 said: “in my position as the chef of a famous restaurant, I have a great influence on what people eat and what they cook. If I don’t have a healthy and sustainable menu, if I don’t use best practice for fishing then I’m part of the problem.” Consider the possibility of offering an iconic product that speaks for