Esosport, the project for recycling used sports equipment, is coming to Marche

Thanks to the collaboration between the athletics, cycling, and tennis federations, Regione Marche, and Legambiente, the collection of shoes, tennis balls, inner tubes, and tires is now starting to give life to new secondary raw materials.

After proper processing, the materials will be transformed into new playgrounds and athletic tracks, which will be donated to the municipalities affected by the earthquake.

Removing waste from landfills, creating new secondary raw materials, providing proper information, raising awareness about the circular economy, and developing new technologies—these are the main goals of the Esosport project, which is coming to Marche thanks to the collaboration between Regione Marche, the regional sports federations in Marche for athletics, cycling, and tennis, and Legambiente Marche.

The project, funded by Regione Marche, involves the collection of bicycle tires, inner tubes, shoes, and tennis balls, which will be properly processed to create a new secondary raw material—a loose granulate that is pressed into tiles. These will be donated free of charge to public authorities in the earthquake-affected areas for use in new local initiatives, playgrounds, and athletic tracks. Specifically, the project allows for the establishment of “Il Giardino di Betty” (Betty’s Garden), a playground for children dedicated to Elisabetta Salvioni Meletiou, who supported her husband in conceiving and managing the Esosport project until her untimely passing on July 2, 2011; or “La pista di PIETRO” (PIETRO’s Track), which entails the creation of a 60-meter athletic track in memory of the great Pietro Mennea, with the direct involvement of his wife, Manuela Olivieri.

The collection of materials will take place by placing containers in sports clubs, where used equipment can be dropped off. Next to the containers, there will be informational materials explaining the project and its objectives in detail. The pilot project includes a collection service until September 2021, after which the granulate will be made available for the creation of gardens and/or athletic tracks.

Thanks to the special Esosport bag, you can place your old shoes in the ESObox “esosport run,” which are recycled cardboard containers set up at locations agreed upon with the federations. Currently, worn-out shoes often end up in unsorted residual waste, increasing the amount of landfill waste and causing environmental damage. Proper waste processing, on the other hand, allows the immediate recovery of secondary raw materials, which can be reused for other purposes.

Thanks to the Esosport Bike service, it is possible for individuals to send this waste for recycling, potentially reducing waste fees based on the amount of recycled material. To date, there is no standardized method for collecting inner tubes and bicycle tires; many municipalities do not accept these materials at their recycling centers. ESO has therefore organized a collection service for this type of “forgotten” waste, which currently ends up in landfills, using its fleet of vehicles and drivers (ESOdrivers) across Italy.

Esosport Balls offers tennis clubs, specialty stores, and sports facilities with tennis courts the opportunity to have an ESObox “esosport balls” container for collecting used balls. Considering that a medium-sized tennis club can use up to 700 balls per month, which currently end up in landfills, the opportunity to recycle them is a significant environmental benefit. The inner part of the balls is processed into granulate that can be used for playground surfacing, while the outer part is transformed into thermal and acoustic insulation material for use in construction.

The initiative was presented this morning by: Giorgia Latini, Sports Director of Regione Marche; Lino Secchi, President of the Cycling Federation in Marche; Paolo Scandiani, Vice President of the Italian Tennis Federation in Marche; Simone Rocchetti, President of FIDAL Marche (Athletics); Andrea Corradini, Regional Advisor for FIDAL Marche; Nicolas Meletiou, CEO of ESO; Francesca Pulcini, President of Legambiente Marche; Fabio Luna, President of CONI Marche (Olympic Committee); and Luca Savoiardi, President of the Paralympic Committee in Marche.

At the conference, the federations’ ambassadors were introduced, who will support the information campaign in the coming months. Those lending their faces to the project are: Angelica Ghergo, Junior Champion in the 400 m hurdles; Giorgio Farroni, Paralympic Cycling Champion; Elisabetta Cocciaretto, member of the Fed Cup team; and Stefano Travaglia, member of the men’s Davis Cup team.

“With this initiative, Marche strengthens its role as a regional community attentive to environmental values and sustainability,” says Sports Director Giorgia Latini. “It is particularly significant that the sports involved in the project become witnesses and protagonists of a beautiful and concrete example of the circular economy, with strong social aspects, already visible in the purpose of recycling the reused materials.”

“The federations have welcomed this project with great enthusiasm, as it unites sport, the environment, quality of life, and innovation,” say the presidents of the involved federations. “The collection points for the used materials will serve as true information hubs for environmental protection and proper waste management. We thank the federations’ ambassadors, who have joined us to make this message even stronger and to oversee these months of material collection, which will become part of the reconstruction of the communities in Marche affected by the earthquake.”

“I am happy and honored that the Esosport project is being expanded to the area where my grandfather Amato was born, in Tolentino,” says Nicolas Meletiou, CEO of ESO. “The project for recycling sports materials will particularly help create Giardini di Betty or La pista di PIETRO in the 89 municipalities affected by the earthquake, and it is our wish to soon open one of the 10 planned facilities in Italy for processing, recycling, and production in this wonderful area.”

“Sport, environment, quality of life, circular economy. This project shows us how the challenge of the circular economy is now cross-cutting and embraces all of our daily lives,” says Francesca Pulcini, President of Legambiente Marche. “With the collection of these materials, we have the opportunity to involve many athletes in improving waste management and creating new opportunities for healthy development in our region, also in light of the important resources from Next Generation EU arriving in our region. Thanks to this initiative, we continue to keep focus on the earthquake-affected areas and contribute with a concrete reconstruction action in the spirit of innovation.”

Collection Points in Marche

Below are the locations of the ESOboxes organized by the Italian Cycling Federation in Marche:

  1. Mondo Bici Sas via Metauro 14 61033 Fermignano PU Tlf. 0722/330443 – 348/6541679
  2. Cicli Sport Cingolani Via Ex Arceviese 1 60010 Pianello Di Ostra AN Tlf. 071/688548 – 338/5409587
  3. Negozio di Bicilette Le Velo via G. Marcon 166/Bis 60035 Jesi An Tlf. 0731/200962 – 339/8437865
  4. Cicli Baldoni Viale Regina Margherita 241 Porto Potenza Picena MC Tlf. 0733/686311
  5. Massetani Cicli Via Eugenio Montale 35 62010 Morrovalle MC Tlf. 0735/564965
  6. Piangerelli e Quintabà Cicli Via Merloni 42 62022 Selvalagli MC Tlf. 0737/640038 – 338/2502867
  7. E Bike Store Tutti Campioni Via Giuseppe Mazzini 224 63821 Porto Sant’ Elpidio FM

Tlf. 389/1607169

At these collection points and at local cycling clubs affiliated with the federation, informational materials about the project will be distributed, highlighting the initiators and contributors. The aim is to promote this commendable initiative as widely as possible, as it perfectly aligns with the ecological values of cycling and demonstrates concrete solidarity with the earthquake-affected areas, which can freely use the recycled and processed materials for playground surfacing.

The containers will be placed at the following athletics stadiums:

Ancona Palaindoor, Ancona Campo I. Conti, Macerata, Pesaro, San Benedetto del Tronto, Civitanova Marche.

As well as at the following sports stores: Goba (Montecassiano-MC) and Quota CS Sport (Sant’Elpidio a Mare-FM).

Press Office of Legambiente Marche

334.6031135comunicazione@legambientemarche.org