Innovative sports surfaces, urban furniture in recycled rubber and school equipment for the three Sicilian schools that have reached the final of the training project about End-of-Life Tyre recycling.

Three classes of Caltagirone (CT), Lampedusa (AG), and Porto Empedocle (AG) have been awarded for creating the best video-advertisement on the correct recycling of End-of-life Tyres. Over 17,800 tonnes of tyres were collected by Ecopneus in Sicily in 2018.

A state-of-the art sports surface made with recycled rubber from End-of-Life Tyres, urban furniture in recycled rubber, and school equipment for the three Sicilian schools winners of the contest: “For a correct recycling of End-of-Life tyres”. The educational project has been promoted by Legambiente and Ecopneus. Ecopneus is a non-profit company among the main players responsible for the management of End-of-Life tyres in Italy.  This Project has reached about 6,740 students of junior and high schools of Region Sicily with class activities and lessons linked to the correct recovery of End-of-Life tyres.

Having reached its VIII° edition, the contest has involved Sicilian boys and girls in the creation of a video with a message linked to the good practices for the correct recovery of ELTs – End-of-Life Tyres. A jury of experts  that included representatives of Ecopneus, the Ministry of Instruction and the Ministry of the Environment  evaluated all the works and drafted the list announced today during an event dedicated to the students about environment and legality at the Pirandello theatre of Agrigento.

The winner is the Comprehensive Institute “G. Arcoleo – V. Da Feltre” – Caltagirone (CT) that has been awarded the remaking of the sports surface of the school with innovative sports surfaces in recycled rubber. Ecopneus will also donate school equipment and pieces of furniture in recycled rubber, such as benches, planters, and relaxation areas to the Comprehensive Institute “Luigi Pirandello” of Lampedusa (AG) and the junior high school “Luigi Pirandello” of Porto Empedocle (AG).

I ragazzi dell’Istituto Comprensivo “G. Arcoleo – V. Da Feltre” di Caltagirone, primi classificati del Concorso (en translation)

Giovanni Corbetta, General Manager of Ecopneus stated: “We are proud that we have reached the 8th edition of this contest dedicated to the correct recycling of End-of-Life Tyres. Today’s event is the conclusion of an educational project the students started at the beginning of the school year, and the prizes are the concrete example of how ELTs are an important source of material for many useful applications. The training on the topics of legality and the protection of the environment is central for the boys’ and girls’ correct growth, but also to oppose environmental crimes. As Ecopneus, we pay attention to the training and information on these issues.”

Education is, indeed, a fundamental aspect to favour a valid collaboration between the Public and Private sectors and assure a correct management of End-of-Life tyres that may have wider positive results for the whole community. The rubber obtained from the recycling of End-of-Life tyres is a high-quality, precious material widely used all over the world to make sports surfaces, football pitches, sound-proofing materials, urban furnishing, silent, safe and long-lasting asphalts, or as energy for families and companies.

Ecopneus collected 17,800 tonnes of End-of-Life tyres in Sicily ink 2018. The collection is in line also for 2019, with 14,398 tonnes collected in the first 10 months of 2019. At provincial level, 1,337 tonnes were collected in Agrigento, 995 t in the province of Caltanissetta, 3,583 tonnes in Catania, 785 t in Enna, 2,308 t in Messina, 876 t in Palermo, 1,470 in Ragusa, 1,494 in Syracuse and 1,510 t in the Province of Trapani.