Erion Care is born, the first national consortium to prevent the abandonment of waste from tobacco products into the environment

An alliance for sustainability. The Bat companies, Imperial Brands, JT International And Philip Morris gave birth to the Erion Care Consortium, created to combat the abandonment of waste of tobacco products in the environment and promote proper disposal of the same. A move that follows the application in Italy of the European Directive ‘Single Use Plastics’ (Sup) which introduces specific measures on certain types of waste, such as filters for tobacco products. The mission of Erion Care will focus on the prevention of incorrect behavior from an environmental point of view, such as the gesture of throwing cigarette butts on the ground, and on the participation of tobacco companies in the costs of effective and efficient management of this type of waste, according to the principle of Extended producer responsibility (Epr).

“The founding members of Erion Care are proud to present this new consortium, which expresses the determination of the tobacco sector in pursuing with commitment important sustainability objectives”, commented the president of Erion Care Enrico Ziino. “We decided to move well in advance of the regulatory deadlines in order to have a thorough and constructive discussion with the Ministry of Ecological Transition (Mite) and with all the other institutional interlocutors, in order to develop an effective, balanced program agreement and useful to the country. “More in detail, the agreement will have to define the ways in which the new Consortium of the Erion System will contribute to the costs of removing, transporting and treating the waste of tobacco products incurred by local authorities, as well as to awareness, national and local, to avoid the dispersion of waste from tobacco products into the environment.

Erion Care is the response of the players in the sector to the obligations established by the legislative decree 8 November 2021, n. 196, which implements the Sup directive of the European Union on the reduction of the incidence of certain plastic products on the environment. The standard provides for a series of rules and requirements for the producers of tobacco products with filters and filters marketed in combination with tobacco products: marking (Article 7), which must inform consumers of the appropriate management and disposal methods refusal; the extended producer responsibility regimes (Article 8), on the coverage of the costs of collection, transport and treatment of this waste; awareness-raising measures (art.10), to encourage consumers to adopt responsible behavior in order to reduce the dispersion of the filters which, as they are made of plastic material, are included in the list of products covered by the Sup. Directive.

“Erion is pleased to be the partner of the producers of the tobacco sector, supporting them with their skills and organization in the virtuous path they have started. The four current Erion consortia are joined by a new collective system, designed to successfully respond to the objectives that the founding members intend to pursue “, added the president of Erion Compliance Organization, Andrea Fluttero. “Erion’s goal is to develop excellent Extended Responsibility Systems, driven by manufacturers, that protect the environment and foster more sustainable lifestyles.”

Letizia Nepi was nominated general manager of Erion Careand will have the task of guiding the non-profit consortium by promoting an in-depth and constructive comparison with the MildL’National Association of Italian Municipalities (Anci) and the managers of urban sanitation services to define the program agreement for the application of theEpr. Former secretary of Fise Unire, the national union of recovery companies, and general secretary of Fise Unicircular, the national union of circular economy enterprises, Nepi also held the position of deputy director of Assoambiente, the national association of environmental services and the circular economy. , dealing in particular with the coordination and optimization of the activities of the associated sectors (urban waste, special waste, plant management, recycling) and carrying out representation activities at national and European institutions and business organizations.

“Counteracting the abandonment and dispersion of smoking product waste and promoting its correct disposal: these are the objectives to which I will work as general manager of Erion Care, in close collaboration with institutions, local authorities and with all those who can contribute to making them ”, he commented Letizia Nepi. “I am very proud to cover this new position in order to be able to put the experience I have acquired in the field of waste management and sustainability at the service of these important goals”.

The birth of Erion Care is the result of over a year of work by the founding members who, under the guidance of An industry (Territorial association of the Confindustria system of Rome Frosinone Latina Rieti Viterbo), have decided in a responsible way to undertake this initiative. The four companies have been able to count on the support and experience of the Erion multi-consortium systemalso on the strategic and organizational support of EY Parthenonwhich allowed constant comparison with the best international benchmarks.