On 7 November 2024 the Italian Embassy in Belgrade presented Ekonsortium — an association of Italian and Serbian manufacturing companies operating in Serbia, aimed at launching circular economy processes through a different approach to industrial waste management.
Italian Ambassador to Serbia H.E. Luca Gori hosted the founder of the consortium, Michele Rossini, at the residence. Rossini presented the organisation and the methodology of the association. Studying waste management requires deep expertise, considerable time and resources. Ekonsortium will also work on business models that produce secondary raw materials from waste and sell them to others for further production, Rossini emphasised, announcing workshops at which these and other business models will be discussed.
"The launch of Ekonsortium is further evidence of our companies' commitment to developing an efficient circular economy in Serbia as well, modelled on the Italian system — today a world champion in this sector with over 70 percent of industrial waste being recycled," said Ambassador Gori.
With innovative technologies and practices, Italian companies show how waste recycling can become a strategic resource, driving sustainable and responsible growth that protects the environment and creates new economic opportunities for both countries.
Elena Alberti, member of Ekonsortium's technical-scientific committee, reminded the audience of the aspects every company should consider: "What is waste to one is a resource to another." We help companies find partners that can reduce their resource consumption and offer a service instead of a product. We look for collaborators who can turn what some no longer need into new value and a new product. All this requires knowledge and reflection, but also connection. The consortium exists precisely to make those connections, Alberti emphasised, presenting several case studies from member companies.
The project was created with the support of the Italian-Serbian Chamber of Commerce, in cooperation with Confindustria Serbia and with the participation of the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia. Welcoming and wishing the initiative success were Annino de Venezia, President of the Italian-Serbian Chamber of Commerce; Silvia Herceg, Deputy Director of Confindustria Serbia; Dušan Stokić, Head of the Centre for Environment, Technical Regulations, Quality and Social Responsibility at the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia; and Sante Sarrecchia, representative of Ondaplast Balkan doo and Ekonsortium member.