Not just artisanal cheese

15 September 2023 – Transforming a long-established event in the Italian food and wine calendar into a virtuous and replicable model for waste management, which can demonstrate how the environmental impact of large public events can be reduced through proper recycling of organic waste and compostable bioplastics. One more reason to attend the 2023 edition of Cheese, the international event organised by Slow Food in the city of Bra from the 15th to the 18th of September.

This year’s event, which around 300,000 people are expected to attend, will feature the “Waste presidium” initiative, organised by STR (Società Trattamento Rifiuti srl), Consorzio Albese Braidese Rifiuti, the Municipality of Bra and Slow Food Italia, as well as a number of local civic and sports associations. The goal is to demonstrate how to increase the quality and quantity of separate waste collection, starting with food waste and compostable items.

Ordinary waste collection in Bra will be suspended during the four days of the Cheese event. In place of the roadside containers, visitors and residents will find “collection islands”, in which they can dispose of compostable bioplastic packaging together with organic waste, and where other materials will also be collected separately (paper, traditional plastic, glass, aluminium/steel and general waste). And that’s not all: each island will be staffed by trained personnel to minimise mistakes. Hundreds of volunteers will help citizens understand the economic and environmental benefits of proper waste processing. There will also be environmental education initiatives for local schools and communication activities aimed at event exhibitors, who will be invited to use only compostable or reusable material for tastings during the event.

The initiative is being funded entirely by Biorepack, the national consortium for the organic recycling of biodegradable and compostable plastic packaging. In recent months Biorepack organised a competition awarding prizes to the best local communication projects aimed at raising awareness about the characteristics of compostable bioplastics and the benefits of disposing of them together with all the other organic waste. The “Waste presidium” initiative is one of the four winning projects from Piedmont.

“Compostable bioplastics came about from the need to improve the separate collection of domestic food waste. They enable us to consolidate and close the circle of organic recycling,” explained Marco Versari, president of the Biorepack consortium. “Bags made from bioplastic are ideal for collecting organic waste for processing in anaerobic digestion and composting plants, while single use compostable items for the consumption of food and drinks – plates, cutlery, cups etc. – are perfect for use at events attended by tens of thousands of people where alternative solutions are not viable. Major public events such as Cheese are therefore perfect opportunities to raise awareness about the specific characteristics and benefits of compostable bioplastics.”

This year’s initiative builds upon similar activities conducted at past editions of Cheese, attracting the attention of an ever-growing number of users. This is demonstrated by the impressive results of waste collection during the event: in 2021, for example, separate collection reached a percentage of 93.5%, with organic waste and compostable material representing over 35% of that total.

PRESS INFO

Barabino & Partners S.p.A.

Serena Galdo
s.galdo@barabino.it
Mob: +39 345.14.64.356                      

Domenico Lofano
d.lofano@barabino.it
Mob: +39 334.14.12.995