Collection of end-of-life sports equipment kicks off with esosport
in 23 Municipalities in the Province of Macerata
The initiative promoted by ATA 3 – MACERATA and COSMARI SRL
January 29, 2026 – The presence of esosport across Italy continues to grow thanks to the agreement with ATA 3 – MACERATA and COSMARI SRL, who have chosen to launch the project dedicated to the collection and recycling of end-of-life sports equipment in 23 Municipalities in the Province.
Esosport, a brand of ESO RECYCLING—a company specializing in the treatment of sports waste as well as waste from the fashion and workwear sectors—was founded in 2009 with the goal of reducing the amount of sports materials sent to landfills and promoting the awareness that recycling is not only possible, but can generate new secondary raw materials for use in sports flooring, playground surfaces, and sports products.
The initiative was presented on Thursday, January 29 at 11:00 AM at the Auditorium of the ITAS “Matteo Ricci” School in Macerata, which is participating in the project, in the presence of: Rita Emiliozzi, Principal of ITAS Matteo Ricci; Sandro Parcaroli, President of the Province of Macerata; Massimo Principi, Director of ATA 3 – Macerata; Paolo Gattafoni, President of COSMARI srl; Brigitte Pellei, General Manager of COSMARI srl; Nicolas Meletiou, Managing Director of ESO RECYCLING Società Benefit; and several classes from the school.
The initiative involves 23 Municipalities in the Province of Macerata, 46 schools, 11 bike shops and as many tennis clubs, and 3 sports facilities: for a total of 71 collection points across the territory for worn-out athletic shoes, bicycle inner tubes and tires, and tennis and padel balls.
The project will run for two years and involves placing ESOboxes—dedicated containers for material collection—at agreed locations, available to citizens who choose the recycling path for their old sports equipment.
ESO RECYCLING will handle the emptying of the containers and the start of the recycling process at its plant in Tolentino.
“This initiative has been fully embraced by our school community. Thanks to the work of their teachers, our students are very receptive to everything concerning the environment and the circular economy. It is a very interesting project that allows for the recovery of materials that would otherwise end up in a landfill.” Said Rita Emiliozzi, Principal of ITAS MATTEO RICCI, at the opening of the press conference.
“ATA plans services across the territory in synergy with Cosmari, and this innovative project allows us to collect specific waste that is transformed, through a virtuous cycle, into secondary raw materials and used in another production phase for full reuse.” Stated Massimo Principi, Director of ATA No. 3 MACERATA.
“We welcome this agreement with satisfaction, as it sees the expansion of esosport in the province of Macerata—a territory dear to us where we are present with our ESO RECYCLING plant in Tolentino. It is an important signal that strengthens the bond with the area and confirms the value of a shared path built together with the local community.” Declared Nicolas Meletiou, Managing Director of ESO RECYCLING.
“This morning at ITAS Matteo Ricci in Macerata, in the presence of the students, we presented a very interesting project together with ATA 3 Macerata and ESO RECYCLING. We are sharing a part of the Macerata area with a private company that has the same mission as ours: creating secondary raw materials by transforming specific sports-related waste into, for example, shock-absorbing flooring for playgrounds or sports surfaces. However, what we truly care about is relaunching a message linked to environmental protection through the production of waste that must necessarily be sorted. This is an increasingly pressing issue at the forefront of public opinion.” Emphasized the President of COSMARI srl, Paolo Gattafoni.
“A concrete project that involves the younger generations and sees them as protagonists both at school and in the places where they practice sports, such as tennis clubs. We are very motivated to participate actively and contribute to the recovery of bicycle tires, athletic shoes, and tennis and padel balls that will be transformed into other reusable materials, fully realizing the principles of the circular economy.” Recalled Brigitte Pellei, General Manager of COSMARI srl.