The City of Prato is famous worldwide for its textile district, which represents about 3% of European textile production. The Prato textile industry, despite the economic difficulties and the major market transformations, is... [ view full abstract ]
The City of Prato is famous worldwide for its textile district, which represents about 3% of European textile production. The Prato textile industry, despite the economic difficulties and the major market transformations, is still active and vital: the urban policy of productive re-organization based on the circular economy principles, is recognized at EU level as a model for urban economies improvement.
Prato has been always a model of innovation in this sector having historically based its industrial fortune on the reuse of waste from the textile process and on the reuse of second-hand clothing from all over the world. The recycling techniques of these fractions - that would otherwise be considered a waste - started at the end of the XIX century – led to consider Prato one of the most advanced and innovative industrial city in Italy. With this mindset, part of the DNA of the City, Prato anticipates by decades a behavior that today is promoted by the “green economy” principles and the intelligent management of productive chains in the logic of Circular Economy.
The aim of this paper is to describe a real experience of industrial symbiosis, performed both by the Municipality of Prato together with industries and scientific community.
At present, the Municipality of Prato is the Italian representative in the EU’s “Urban Agenda: Circular Economy Partnership” initiative. The Urban Agenda project will enhance EU policies, strengthen the EU’s understanding of urban issues, and share best practice strategies. Thus, the Partnership aims to stimulate the re-use, repair, refurbishment, and recycling of existing materials and products, all of which will help promote growth and job opportunities. The Municipality of Prato is a leader in the debates that have emerged regarding waste water reuse and on sustainable buildings.
About waste water, Prato was the first industrial district arranging a close water cycle so to be able to reuse the waste water more than one time and to clean it before giving back to the environment. A system, which led to significant results in terms of green infrastructures and green economy and that has been studied, promoted and copied (since the early 1980s the Prato district has been a case study to investigate innovative environmental recycling dynamics).
Therefore, Circular Economy in Prato also means the reuse and the transformation of existing buildings (“Rethinking the City”), in particular those of the industrial areas, with the logic to improve the environmental performance of buildings and infrastructures in their entire life cycle.
Keywords:
- Industrial symbiosis
- Circular Economy
- Urban Agenda
- Waste water reuse
5g. Special Track - Industrial symbiosis, networking and cooperation as part of industrial
