L. Pacini,

Ordinary member of the Accademia dei Georgofili in Florence; Coordinator of AMPA (Agricultural Applications of Plastic Materials)  at the Istituto Italiano dei Plastici in Milan; and member of the Agricultural Committee of the ICE  (Istituto del Commercio Estero, of the Italian Government Ministry of the same name) in Rome.
Via M.U. Traiano 7, I - 20149 Milano

Abstract:  Life is linked to respect for the environment rather than to the accumulation of waste that pollutes the air, water, and soil--waste which is produced by human activities such as chemistry, business, agriculture, and the development of non-renewable resources. Greater knowledge of and compliance with the ISO 9000 and 14000 norms is called for, even in agriculture.

The CE/1257/99 regulations for sustainable rural development via reduced environmental impact farming have been finalized for 2000-2006. Biological production, improved transformation techniques, conservation, transportation, and marketing of products were all addressed. A product’s ability to compete in the marketplace depends on its price (expressed in terms of benefits) and to a greater and greater extent on its potential for reuse or recycling to recapture materials and energy at the end of its usable life. Plastics are an essential technical means by which to produce quality products at a competitive price while respecting the environment. Films and plastics used to shelter and mulch crops, for irrigation pipes, for cassette shuttles with fold-down walls for harvesting, conservation, transportation, and the display of plant, flower, and fruit products are but a few examples. In 1991 Italy consumed 245,000 tons of manufactured products. By 1999, the figure had risen to 300,000 tons, 30% of which was reused, 40% was recycled, and the remainder burned to recoup energy.

The Italian Institute of Plastics (IIP) promotes the aforementioned applications and others, and collaborates with both the UNI (a national organization for standardization) and the CEN (Comité Européen de Normalisation, to which the IIP belongs). The IIP manages the UNI and its IIP-UNI designation, which certifies compliance with standards. UNI/EN certifies Quality Systems via the SQP designation for plastics and the SQC designation for crops, both of which are attributed by the IIP. UNI/EN also certifies Surroundings Management via the SGA designation, attributed by IIP.

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