The " No Plastic Challenge" platform was officially launched in Milan . The Accademia del Panino hosted the presentation of an innovative tool that aims to engage businesses and consumers in adopting virtuous behaviors to progressively eliminate the use of plastic.
The president of Panino Giusto will be hosting the event, Elena Riva, which welcomed the arrival of the new platform. The protagonists of the afternoon meeting were in fact the association Ami-Environment Sea Italy (https://ambientemareitalia.
As Alessandro Botti, president of AMI, explained , 'No Plastic Challenge' is "a platform that transforms plastic reduction and our individual and collective commitment to the problem into a game." The gamification process is useful for engaging businesses and individuals. It's no coincidence that the word "challenge" was chosen, a term that immediately evokes a use of social networks, especially among young people. Indeed, the platform works in a similar way: you sign up, create a profile, customize it, and gradually earn NoPlasticCoins by actively participating in events aimed at protecting the environment.
Among these opportunities are also the calls to action organized by Ambiente Mare Italia: "This is our 'Green Week'," Botti continued. "We are bringing color to the entire peninsula with 100 events in 12 regions and involving tens of thousands of people in civic engagement initiatives to raise awareness for the formation of a new ecological culture."
Change is a duty. This was emphasized by Luca Vecchio of the University of Milan-Bicocca , Department of Psychology, who collaborated on the 'No Plastic Challenge' project. "This is a huge problem that cannot be solved alone. It requires both scientific and multidisciplinary collaboration. I firmly believe in cooperating with businesses, not to absolve them of their responsibilities, but to jointly promote that change in development and lifestyle models, which remains a daunting task."
This is precisely why a memorandum of understanding was signed between AMI (Ambiente Mare Italia) - SOS LOGistica - UBRI (Unione dei Brand della Ristorazione Italiana), which places sustainability at the center of all its aspects. When we talk about plastic, we immediately think of the recycling process, but the problem lies further back.
"Logistics is often hidden, but is it either a contribution to the value of the products we purchase or a problem," said Daniele Testi, president of Sos Logistica. "There's an ever-increasing focus on the product and packaging, but what still needs to develop is a focus on the process. What we do is connect the dots, so opportunities like this are designed to try to bring together multiple pieces of the chain. Only together can we strive for improvement."
Among the key players in this quest for sustainability is the restaurant industry. Tunde Pecsvari, CEO of Macha Café and a member of the board of directors of UBRI-Unione dei Brand della Ristorazione Italiana ( https://www.ubri.it ), a food retail association founded during the pandemic that now brings together over 60 companies, knows this well: "What the food industry can do is work on the offering that reaches the consumer. The vast majority of companies have now gone plastic-free for takeaway containers, for example. When it comes to choosing suppliers, we try to favor those with sustainable products ."
The launch of the 'No Plastic Challenge' platform was therefore just the beginning of a collaborative journey. Co-financing the project's development was Fondazione Cariplo , which has always been committed to the common good of citizens. "Environmental protection and the sustainability of our way of life are among our four core activities," said General Manager Sergio Urbani . "We also work to raise awareness among young people starting in their school years, perhaps directing them toward green jobs , coordinating with those working in the sector."
The gaze is turned straight to the future, which passes through the defense of a Planet, ours, that asks to be cared for as it deserves. Even better if with a fun competition.
