The volleyball club Gas Sales Bluenergy Volley Piacenza, whose management includes Hristo Zlatanov – son of the legendary Dimitar Zlatanov, continues to prove that sport and sustainable development can go hand in hand. In the PalabancaSport hall, where the 'red-and-whites' conduct their training sessions and home matches in the Italian SuperLega, six special facilities called Smokers Point, produced by the Italian startup Re-Cig, have already been installed. The club's website informed about this initiative.
What are 'Smokers Point'?
These are smart ashtrays that collect and store up to1500 cigarette buttseach. They are designed so that no other waste can be thrown through a grated lid – only cigarette filters are collected. This reduces pollution around the sports facility, and the butts do not end up in nature.
How Re-Cig's technology works – simply explained
1. Collection:All cigarette butts discarded in 'Smokers Point' are collected separately from other waste.2. Cleaning:In a specialized facility, the filters are washed, and toxic substances like nicotine and tar are removed.3. Separation:The different parts are separated – paper, tobacco, and the cellulose acetate filter (a type of plastic).4. Transformation:After processing, the filters are melted and transformed into a new material, calledRe-CA®, which can be used to make items – spectacle frames, umbrella handles, buttons, and even components for 3D printers.5. Second life:Instead of polluting, cigarette butts are transformed into a useful raw material – entirely in the spirit of the circular economy.
The ecological effect
The process is not only clean but also economical. For processing 1 kilogram of cigarette butts, only0.67 kg CO", which is many times less than the emissions from burning or landfilling the same amount of waste. In addition, plastic is saved, which would otherwise be produced from oil.Green vision under the leadership of Hristo Zlatanov
Hristo Zlatanov and President Elisabetta Curti are actively developing the club's "green" policy. PalabancaSport now also has a Plastic Machine ", a vending machine for collecting and processing plastic bottles, and the E-CO₂ Free Energy initiative ensures that the club offsets all its carbon emissions through ecological projects.
This initiative by Piacenza is a great example of how sport can serve to change habits. When spectators and athletes see that even cigarette butts can be recycled and reused, the message is strong ", sustainability starts with small gestures.
The idea that "the arena is not just a place for matches, but also for protecting the planet" is entirely in the spirit of the new generation of sports clubs that think beyond the playing field.
Идеята, че „арената не е само място за мачове, а и за опазване на планетата“, е напълно в духа на новото поколение спортни клубове, които мислят отвъд игралното поле.
