This paper will examine the significant environmental challenges resulting from the rapid growth in production during the twentieth century, highlighting the necessity for a departure from the prevailing "buy-use-dispose" culture. With the global population reaching around 8 billion, the planet's resources are under severe strain, illustrated by the concept of "overshoot day," when the resources generated in a year are depleted. In Italy, this occurs on the 15th of May. The shift towards sustainable development gathered momentum in the 1970s as a reaction to the unsustainable way of life. Sustainable development aims to combine economic and environmental growth to satisfy present and future requirements, paving the way for concepts like the circular economy.