The recycling of materials is often considered a sufficient action to do what is necessary to respect the environment; however, it should be remembered that good environmental sustainability practices begin long before the recycling phase and directly concern citizens' purchasing and consumption habits.

In fact, it is necessary to consider that the first action to protect natural resources is to reduce the amount of waste, directing purchases towards consumption that has a reduced environmental impact. How you do it? For example, it is possible to avoid the purchase of disposable products or to prefer those with packaging and wrapping reduced to a minimum.

Once the first "R" is respected, we move on to the second imperative: reuse! We often get rid of materials and products that, on the other hand, could be reused by following a few small tricks. For example: a shoe box, with a bit of fabric, glue and a pair of scissors, can become a very useful space-saving container.

When we have run out of ideas for reuse available or are unable to recover some objects or materials, we move on to the last step of the sustainability process: recycling.

In fact, where we cannot do without certain materials or reuse them, it is very important to differentiate this waste and dispose of it in the correct way: in this way, it will be possible to give it new life after the appropriate treatments and avoid wasting resources, both economic and natural.