separate collection never stops, not even on vacation
Introducing Italians to the qualities and values of correct steel packaging and teaching the importance of their delivery along the beaches and ports of the main seaside resorts: this is the focus of the “Mediterranean Heart” summer traveling campaign promoted by RICREA, the Consortium National for the Recycling and Recovery of Steel Packaging which is part of the CONAI system. The first stop of the tour was on the Adriatic coast: in Cattolica, the correspondent Alice met the swimmers to learn about their habits, inviting them to discover the advantages of correct separate collection and the value of permanent recycling of steel, a material that it is recycled indefinitely without losing its intrinsic qualities. Tins, cans, jars, cans, drums and crown caps, are in fact friends of the sea and the environment. Furthermore, protecting foods from external agents, keeping intact the flavor, quality and nutritional properties, which is why they are considered ideal safes for preserving Mediterranean food specialties. Therefore, even on vacation, the steel packaging must be placed in the appropriate container, following the rules of the holiday municipality. The RICREA Consortium has given the City of Cattolica a special recognition for its commitment to the separate collection of steel packaging and for having contributed to the achievement of excellent results at the regional level: in Emilia Romagna in 2021 5.9 kg of packaging were collected in steel per inhabitant, a figure much higher than the national average (4.4 kg). “Promoting the importance of correct delivery of steel packaging is a mission that we never lose sight of, not even in summer. From raw material to packaging, a differentiated waste, collected and sent for recycling to give birth to a new life, endlessly, steel is the protagonist of a real circular economy – explains Roccandrea Iascone, Head of the RICREA Consortium -. “Italy represents a European excellence in the separate collection of steel packaging. Thanks to the synergistic commitment of municipalities, operators and citizens, we want to further improve the results already obtained “. “Our city, which in the summer reaches 80,000 visitors, faces the greatest flows with upgrades on collection services, in particular on differentiated waste. Last year there was an increase in the overall production of waste (+ 12%), in differentiated waste (+ 11%) and in particular for the collection of plastic cans. Of the packaging package, the share recovered by the RICREA Consortium (equal to 5%) has increased by 4%, with 68.2 tons ”says Franca Foronchi, Mayor of Cattolica. In addition to the Municipality, RICREA awarded Hera SpA which deals with the management of waste collection in the area and their selection for recycling. “In our territory, the plastic and can packaging is delivered to the Coriano sorting plant, from which the separate chains of steel, metal and plastic packaging are obtained. In 2021, Hera has already exceeded the 70% packaging recycling rate target set for 2030 by 73%. – says Cinzia Turchetti, Head of Hera waste management for the Rimini district – Hera, to govern the citizen in waste disposal, has developed the App il Rifiutologo, geolocated by address, which helps citizens to differentiate correctly thanks to various functions: through the “Search for waste”, for example, it is possible to see in real time how and where to confer their own waste, also having information materials and insights available. Specifically, almost 30,000 sessions were recorded in Cattolica, there are approximately 2,800 active users and steel is in 4th place among the most sought-after waste. “In Italy in 2021 390,000 tons of steel packaging were sent for recycling, equal to weighing about 3 cruise ships More information on Cuore Mediterraneo and Alice’s activities on the dedicated Facebook page @ CuoreMediterraneo.RICREA
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