A story about circularity & partnerships
Basic information
Project Title
A story about circularity & partnerships
Full project title
Multidisciplinary laboratory for the regeneration of wood from logistics disposable packaging.
Category
Shaping a circular industrial ecosystem and supporting life-cycle thinking
Project Description
FERCAM Echo Labs is a concrete example of industrial symbiosis that experiments production processes with low environmental impact and high social value. It uses a network of profit and non-profit companies and associations to feed a circular economy supply chain that reintroduces wood into the production cycle with the objective of regenerating urban and industrial areas. It offers an income and an opportunity to gain new skills to fragile groups and the unemployed, especially asylum seekers.
Geographical Scope
National
Project Region
Italy
Urban or rural issues
Mainly urban
Physical or other transformations
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)
EU Programme or fund
No
Description of the project
Summary
FERCAM Echo Labs (from now FEL) is a social enterprise founded in 2021 by FERCAM S.p.A. to give new life to wood intended for disposal.
The idea of FEL developed from a need rose in the branch of FERCAM Rome: the creation of an eco-sustainable area dedicated to relaxation for employees and collaborators, where they could take a break from work. From this first project, the desire of launching urban regeneration initiatives became bigger. These projects are aimed at combining concepts of circular economy, design and social integration with the proposal of a new relationship between the civil society and the common good.
FEL's approach is based on ecodesign, which is expressed through:
• the systematic recovery of disused material to generate upcycling and circular economy processes;
• the provision of internships and work opportunities to promote employment and social inclusion (for migrants, asylum seekers but also unemployed people in the area);
• the representation of a way of working that rewards networking and encourages the development of a new culture of respect for the environment, diversity and human rights.
The production process is aimed at producing fittings, objects and gadgets that stimulate good sustainable practices against to mass production of low design quality and short life.
In its design choices, FEL favours the use of material in the logistics chain that is destined for disposal (packaging, pallets, transport crates, etc.). The products are the result of handmade design and manufacture, where the assembly methods are as reversible as possible, and the finishing treatments are based on natural waxes and vegetable solvents.
The design result is a synthesis of functionality, aesthetics and material availability.
The working group employs professionals and young trainees from different backgrounds who are able to represent diverse approaches and solutions.
The idea of FEL developed from a need rose in the branch of FERCAM Rome: the creation of an eco-sustainable area dedicated to relaxation for employees and collaborators, where they could take a break from work. From this first project, the desire of launching urban regeneration initiatives became bigger. These projects are aimed at combining concepts of circular economy, design and social integration with the proposal of a new relationship between the civil society and the common good.
FEL's approach is based on ecodesign, which is expressed through:
• the systematic recovery of disused material to generate upcycling and circular economy processes;
• the provision of internships and work opportunities to promote employment and social inclusion (for migrants, asylum seekers but also unemployed people in the area);
• the representation of a way of working that rewards networking and encourages the development of a new culture of respect for the environment, diversity and human rights.
The production process is aimed at producing fittings, objects and gadgets that stimulate good sustainable practices against to mass production of low design quality and short life.
In its design choices, FEL favours the use of material in the logistics chain that is destined for disposal (packaging, pallets, transport crates, etc.). The products are the result of handmade design and manufacture, where the assembly methods are as reversible as possible, and the finishing treatments are based on natural waxes and vegetable solvents.
The design result is a synthesis of functionality, aesthetics and material availability.
The working group employs professionals and young trainees from different backgrounds who are able to represent diverse approaches and solutions.
Key objectives for sustainability
FERCAM Echo Labs (from this point on FEL), which was initially created to mitigate the environmental impact generated by FERCAM in the operation of its daily business, has expressed positive and scalable projects and values over time:
• create a circular economy chain capable of reabsorbing products from logistics activities and give them new life. The possibility of scaling up this practice in other production realities and other territories is extremely high (FERCAM is present in 21 countries);
• reuse wood as its life cycle can last indefinitely, with environmental and economic benefits. Recycling wood means saving energy, improving air quality and at the same time avoiding waste;
• through the sale of the furniture, an economic spin-off is generated which allows us to support the work of asylum seekers and frail persons, giving them the opportunity to integrate through work. At FEL, three asylum seekers were hired over the years on a permanent basis and many others had the opportunity to do internships that improved their employment possibilities. We are currently in the process of hiring one person on a permanent basis and an intern;
• use resources that are readily available from the daily activities of FERCAM and gives a second life to things that have reached the end of their life cycle; which means lower emissions overall on a larger scale. All the recovered wood can store significant amounts of CO2. This model can be repeated by others working in the same sector. In 2022 we used 20,400 tons of wood, which meant reducing emissions by 6,120 tons of CO2.
• create partnerships with others who share the core values of FEL in order to establish a network with a multidisciplinary team, resulting in better opportunities for all those involved and improved creative and sustainable solutions overall.
• create a circular economy chain capable of reabsorbing products from logistics activities and give them new life. The possibility of scaling up this practice in other production realities and other territories is extremely high (FERCAM is present in 21 countries);
• reuse wood as its life cycle can last indefinitely, with environmental and economic benefits. Recycling wood means saving energy, improving air quality and at the same time avoiding waste;
• through the sale of the furniture, an economic spin-off is generated which allows us to support the work of asylum seekers and frail persons, giving them the opportunity to integrate through work. At FEL, three asylum seekers were hired over the years on a permanent basis and many others had the opportunity to do internships that improved their employment possibilities. We are currently in the process of hiring one person on a permanent basis and an intern;
• use resources that are readily available from the daily activities of FERCAM and gives a second life to things that have reached the end of their life cycle; which means lower emissions overall on a larger scale. All the recovered wood can store significant amounts of CO2. This model can be repeated by others working in the same sector. In 2022 we used 20,400 tons of wood, which meant reducing emissions by 6,120 tons of CO2.
• create partnerships with others who share the core values of FEL in order to establish a network with a multidisciplinary team, resulting in better opportunities for all those involved and improved creative and sustainable solutions overall.
Key objectives for aesthetics and quality
Everything FEL produces is handmade, which has multiple benefits:
• it represents a way of working that rewards networking and alliances and encourages the emergence of a new culture of respect for the environment, diversity and human rights;
• ad hoc design is provided by the architects of Linaria and the ecodesigners of Laboratorio Linfa, a partner of FEL, with the aim of making every project unique. Each solution is perfectly contextualised in the cultural and territorial environment that hosts it by adopting an inlcusive approach through the 'design for all' and responds to the specific needs of the users;
• a key part of our project is the participatory design approach. Co-designing with others is the first step in our project, which is then followed by the actual realization of the project. This method creates greater engagement;
• through the creation of common areas, FEL offers the members of the community the possibility of having a place to meet. Here people can share their opinions and experience collectively and with greater awareness, moments of confrontation and relaxation;
• FEL aims to be a promoter of the Go-Green philosophy. Therefore, FEL supports its partners in the integration of environmental sustainability and social innovation practices, especially with regard to projects concerning employee health and corporate social responsibility;
• FEL is constantly working on growing its network of schools with which it collaborates in order to work closely with students through workshops which help to raise awareness about the responsible use of our resources;
• The collaboration with other organizations focuses on urban regeneration by working on projects that encourage the creation of a community and the improvement of the way public spaces are experienced;
• The furniture that is made by FEL is not treated with harmful substances, meaning that our carpenters can work in safety and the furniture is safe for the end users as well.
• it represents a way of working that rewards networking and alliances and encourages the emergence of a new culture of respect for the environment, diversity and human rights;
• ad hoc design is provided by the architects of Linaria and the ecodesigners of Laboratorio Linfa, a partner of FEL, with the aim of making every project unique. Each solution is perfectly contextualised in the cultural and territorial environment that hosts it by adopting an inlcusive approach through the 'design for all' and responds to the specific needs of the users;
• a key part of our project is the participatory design approach. Co-designing with others is the first step in our project, which is then followed by the actual realization of the project. This method creates greater engagement;
• through the creation of common areas, FEL offers the members of the community the possibility of having a place to meet. Here people can share their opinions and experience collectively and with greater awareness, moments of confrontation and relaxation;
• FEL aims to be a promoter of the Go-Green philosophy. Therefore, FEL supports its partners in the integration of environmental sustainability and social innovation practices, especially with regard to projects concerning employee health and corporate social responsibility;
• FEL is constantly working on growing its network of schools with which it collaborates in order to work closely with students through workshops which help to raise awareness about the responsible use of our resources;
• The collaboration with other organizations focuses on urban regeneration by working on projects that encourage the creation of a community and the improvement of the way public spaces are experienced;
• The furniture that is made by FEL is not treated with harmful substances, meaning that our carpenters can work in safety and the furniture is safe for the end users as well.
Key objectives for inclusion
FEL is a non-profit social enterprise that focuses on inclusion as the engine for social and individual development. The products of FEL are all created in a social carpentry which offers employment to fragile groups, especially asylum seekers, offering a space for socialisation, skill development, integration and social inclusion. In 2023 FEL was awarded by the UNCHR the logo “Welcome. Working for Refugee Integration”, which is given to companies, cooperatives and organizations that hired asylum seekers or refugees, or fostered their concrete job placement through internships and/or training programmes.
Through its projects, FEL aims to achieve the following goals:
• develop professionalisation paths with the people included through teaching and work practice. In the FERCAM Echo Park (FEP) project alone, 216 hours of teaching were provided. Through workshops aimed at creating the furniture itself, the project aims to train new craftsmen and support them over time with new job opportunities, tools and further training courses;
• fight inequalities and social inequities by focusing on the dignity of the human being through work and skills development;
• promotion of a network and networking between local artisans by offering visibility to them through our media channels, their involvement in workshops and by outsourcing some of the projects, bringing them a new source of income. We have created a network of professionals that is beneficial for all, multiplying the social impacts. This is the case of the social carpentry, K_Alma in Rome, offering free training for economically fragile groups. Another example is the recent collaboration with Officine Zero, Sepoffà Upcycling Lab, Laboratorio Linfa and Ridaje - an NGO which curates public spaces by employing the houseless - for the creation of a closed bookcase, made from crates donated by FERCAM Fine Art, that was installed in a park in Rome to encourage cultural and knowledge exchange.
Through its projects, FEL aims to achieve the following goals:
• develop professionalisation paths with the people included through teaching and work practice. In the FERCAM Echo Park (FEP) project alone, 216 hours of teaching were provided. Through workshops aimed at creating the furniture itself, the project aims to train new craftsmen and support them over time with new job opportunities, tools and further training courses;
• fight inequalities and social inequities by focusing on the dignity of the human being through work and skills development;
• promotion of a network and networking between local artisans by offering visibility to them through our media channels, their involvement in workshops and by outsourcing some of the projects, bringing them a new source of income. We have created a network of professionals that is beneficial for all, multiplying the social impacts. This is the case of the social carpentry, K_Alma in Rome, offering free training for economically fragile groups. Another example is the recent collaboration with Officine Zero, Sepoffà Upcycling Lab, Laboratorio Linfa and Ridaje - an NGO which curates public spaces by employing the houseless - for the creation of a closed bookcase, made from crates donated by FERCAM Fine Art, that was installed in a park in Rome to encourage cultural and knowledge exchange.
Results in relation to category
Direct beneficiaries
In just two years of activity, FEL has offered an income, inclusion and integration opportunity to more than 30 unemployed and vulnerable people:
· 30 internships + 3 permanent hires (2 carpenters and 1 designer) + 1 carpenter to be taken on;
· offered more than 1400 hours of on-the-job training;
· involved a network of 8 artisans in workshop activities to provide income opportunities and visibility;
· re-introduced approx. 32.1 tonnes of wood into the production cycle for the realisation of projects aimed at the regeneration of urban and industrial areas (public parks, projects in schools, refreshment areas in the company) with the consequent saving of 9.6 tonnes of CO2.
Indirect beneficiaries
· It represents a tool for social and environmental reflection on the theme of recycling, reuse and the development of a virtuous and circular economy. The availability and use of poor materials that are no longer useful for production becomes the prerequisite for the search for innovative and functional solutions;
· The use of materials that have reached the end of their life cycle is a chance to find innovative and functional solutions for designing new products and create new job opportunities;
· Encourages the transition from a linear supply chain to a circular one oriented towards recycling, repurposing, reuse and upcycling;
· It raises awareness among citizens and companies about sustainable development through the realisation of CSR projects, the promotion of the use of eco-sustainable exhibition stands, and the collaboration with an important network of partners: Medihospes - inclusion of disadvantaged groups, Laboratorio Linfa - quality of design and workmanship, Linaria - landscape architecture and choice of flora for urban biodiversity areas, VoiceBook Radio - for the creation of awareness-raising content on the theme of circular economy, etc.
In just two years of activity, FEL has offered an income, inclusion and integration opportunity to more than 30 unemployed and vulnerable people:
· 30 internships + 3 permanent hires (2 carpenters and 1 designer) + 1 carpenter to be taken on;
· offered more than 1400 hours of on-the-job training;
· involved a network of 8 artisans in workshop activities to provide income opportunities and visibility;
· re-introduced approx. 32.1 tonnes of wood into the production cycle for the realisation of projects aimed at the regeneration of urban and industrial areas (public parks, projects in schools, refreshment areas in the company) with the consequent saving of 9.6 tonnes of CO2.
Indirect beneficiaries
· It represents a tool for social and environmental reflection on the theme of recycling, reuse and the development of a virtuous and circular economy. The availability and use of poor materials that are no longer useful for production becomes the prerequisite for the search for innovative and functional solutions;
· The use of materials that have reached the end of their life cycle is a chance to find innovative and functional solutions for designing new products and create new job opportunities;
· Encourages the transition from a linear supply chain to a circular one oriented towards recycling, repurposing, reuse and upcycling;
· It raises awareness among citizens and companies about sustainable development through the realisation of CSR projects, the promotion of the use of eco-sustainable exhibition stands, and the collaboration with an important network of partners: Medihospes - inclusion of disadvantaged groups, Laboratorio Linfa - quality of design and workmanship, Linaria - landscape architecture and choice of flora for urban biodiversity areas, VoiceBook Radio - for the creation of awareness-raising content on the theme of circular economy, etc.
How Citizens benefit
We believe that social and cultural growth of every community comes through the conscious use of the available resources.
FEL brings people closer to a more sustainble lifestyle through workshops for citizens, urban regeneration, social inclusion and active participation in community life. It relies on a widespread, multidisciplinary network of partners, through which it operates:
• works with schools to raise awareness about sustainability among students and families, as with the on-going Amaldi high school project in the outskirts; the collaboration involved a clean-up, the analysis of the space, and co-designing with the students, a workshop for the creation of an outdoor class and flowerbeds with volunteers from FERCAM and students;
• We created “Echo Vibes”, a weekly podcast focused on the topic of sustainability, launched with VoiceBook Radio, which is the only web radio aimed entirely at students;
• FEL signed an agreement with Medishospes, a work and social integration cooperative for fragile people, to provide employment opportunities for these groups. FEL is aware that the industrial sector can offer opportunities and act as a facilitator in the creation of an integration system that gives new personal and professional dignity to the people involved;
• through partnerships with a growing number of academies, FEL is a place of experimentation and a permanent laboratory for students of all levels who are involved in awareness-raising activities and participate directly with workshops, contests and research activities;
• raising awareness of eco-sustainability among children and parents through events, such as the Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto, a cultural event famous worldwide, where FEL acted as a sustainability partner and ROM_E, an event dedicated to the ecological transition held in Rome, in which FEL has participated since its establishment. In both cases FEL carried out carpentry activities en plein air with thousands of visitors.
FEL brings people closer to a more sustainble lifestyle through workshops for citizens, urban regeneration, social inclusion and active participation in community life. It relies on a widespread, multidisciplinary network of partners, through which it operates:
• works with schools to raise awareness about sustainability among students and families, as with the on-going Amaldi high school project in the outskirts; the collaboration involved a clean-up, the analysis of the space, and co-designing with the students, a workshop for the creation of an outdoor class and flowerbeds with volunteers from FERCAM and students;
• We created “Echo Vibes”, a weekly podcast focused on the topic of sustainability, launched with VoiceBook Radio, which is the only web radio aimed entirely at students;
• FEL signed an agreement with Medishospes, a work and social integration cooperative for fragile people, to provide employment opportunities for these groups. FEL is aware that the industrial sector can offer opportunities and act as a facilitator in the creation of an integration system that gives new personal and professional dignity to the people involved;
• through partnerships with a growing number of academies, FEL is a place of experimentation and a permanent laboratory for students of all levels who are involved in awareness-raising activities and participate directly with workshops, contests and research activities;
• raising awareness of eco-sustainability among children and parents through events, such as the Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto, a cultural event famous worldwide, where FEL acted as a sustainability partner and ROM_E, an event dedicated to the ecological transition held in Rome, in which FEL has participated since its establishment. In both cases FEL carried out carpentry activities en plein air with thousands of visitors.
Physical or other transformations
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)
Innovative character
FEL is part of an ecosystem where the profit and non-profit sectors meet, i.e. the logistics industry (FERCAM) and a social enterprise (FEL), creating a series of opportunities for both:
• social and environmental compensation projects;
• a sustainable supply chain which emcompasses the recovery of materials (mainly wood) and the transportation of the furniture that is made;
• a less energy-intensive, zero-emission process that avoids deforestation by upcycling readily available products the have reached the end of their life cycle and avoiding also further industrial energy consuming processes. This approach has more positive effects compared to other scenarios where materials are downcycled to create products with less value;
• wide availability of raw materials for production thanks to the donation of wood and other sub-products;
• FERCAM supports the management of FEL by offering services and consultancy as well as requesting projects such as office upgrades and the creation of sustainable gadgets for employees and customers;
• access to professional networks on a global scale;
• mutual opportunities for visibility.
• social and environmental compensation projects;
• a sustainable supply chain which emcompasses the recovery of materials (mainly wood) and the transportation of the furniture that is made;
• a less energy-intensive, zero-emission process that avoids deforestation by upcycling readily available products the have reached the end of their life cycle and avoiding also further industrial energy consuming processes. This approach has more positive effects compared to other scenarios where materials are downcycled to create products with less value;
• wide availability of raw materials for production thanks to the donation of wood and other sub-products;
• FERCAM supports the management of FEL by offering services and consultancy as well as requesting projects such as office upgrades and the creation of sustainable gadgets for employees and customers;
• access to professional networks on a global scale;
• mutual opportunities for visibility.
Disciplines/knowledge reflected
FEL does research and development through a full time multidisciplinary laboratory in order to support its circular economy approach, both via theory and practice, in the following disciplines:
• materials technology and joinery: selection and disassembly of tertiary packaging, reduced to boards and semi-finished products, which retain their physical and structural properties or with aesthetic qualities that can be enhanced according to future uses. To do this, the operators, whether trainees or employees, are supported by craftsmen who have a background in this sector, combining design and craftsmanship skills;
• ecodesign: upcycling designs with wood recovered from sub-products and the development of functional and aesthetically refined, treated with natural materials and made with techniques that guarantee the reversibility of materials, thus ensuring their reuse in the future and making sure it follows a circular economy model;
• design innovation: The students of various design and architecture faculties are involved in the reasearch, design and implementation phase;
• social innovation: by including workers from vulnerable groups such as refugees, unemployed and unemployable people, FEL created a network and collaborations with cooperations specialised in cultural mediation, generating social skills, and positive social and environmental effects.
• materials technology and joinery: selection and disassembly of tertiary packaging, reduced to boards and semi-finished products, which retain their physical and structural properties or with aesthetic qualities that can be enhanced according to future uses. To do this, the operators, whether trainees or employees, are supported by craftsmen who have a background in this sector, combining design and craftsmanship skills;
• ecodesign: upcycling designs with wood recovered from sub-products and the development of functional and aesthetically refined, treated with natural materials and made with techniques that guarantee the reversibility of materials, thus ensuring their reuse in the future and making sure it follows a circular economy model;
• design innovation: The students of various design and architecture faculties are involved in the reasearch, design and implementation phase;
• social innovation: by including workers from vulnerable groups such as refugees, unemployed and unemployable people, FEL created a network and collaborations with cooperations specialised in cultural mediation, generating social skills, and positive social and environmental effects.
Methodology used
Based on the empirical evidence experienced FEL adopted the following methods:
• research and methodology in the field of ecodesign, as an opportunity to solve current problems and propose new, useful objects for all. A typological and morphological study related to wood scraps, wooden joints, to minimise the use of glues, and increase resistance and resilience, depending on the stresses that the furniture will have to endure, may that be mechanical or environmental;
• analysis and regulatory solutions to create a circular economy supply chain consistent with European laws and ISO standards;
• material research about products used in production and finishing (impregnating treatments, water-repellent, fire-resistant or pathogen-free finishing with non-polluting substances), so that a product in its next life cannot be labelled as special waste;
• research of new solutions for a simplified disassembling of pallets to reduce the waste.
The FEL theoretical approach represents a replicable operational model and a permanent experimental laboratory that finds application in concrete circular economy and social inclusion projects. The theoretical references are various and embrace a rather broad academic field:
• Circular Economy - Lacy, P. & Rutqvist, J. (2015). Waste to wealth: The circular economy advantage. McDonough, W., & Braungart, M. (2002). Cradle to cradle: Remaking the way we make things (1st ed). North Point Press.
• Blue Economy - Pauli, G. (2015). Blue economy/version 2.0: 200 projects implemented. Ipg-Academic - Jackson, T. (2017). Prosperità senza crescita - I fondamenti dell’economia di domani.
• Social Innovation - Manzini, E. (2015). Design, when everybody designs: An introduction to design for social innovation. The MIT Press.
• Decentralized Production - Maffei, S. & Bianchini, M. (2013). Microproduction everywhere. Social, local, open and connected manufacturing.
• research and methodology in the field of ecodesign, as an opportunity to solve current problems and propose new, useful objects for all. A typological and morphological study related to wood scraps, wooden joints, to minimise the use of glues, and increase resistance and resilience, depending on the stresses that the furniture will have to endure, may that be mechanical or environmental;
• analysis and regulatory solutions to create a circular economy supply chain consistent with European laws and ISO standards;
• material research about products used in production and finishing (impregnating treatments, water-repellent, fire-resistant or pathogen-free finishing with non-polluting substances), so that a product in its next life cannot be labelled as special waste;
• research of new solutions for a simplified disassembling of pallets to reduce the waste.
The FEL theoretical approach represents a replicable operational model and a permanent experimental laboratory that finds application in concrete circular economy and social inclusion projects. The theoretical references are various and embrace a rather broad academic field:
• Circular Economy - Lacy, P. & Rutqvist, J. (2015). Waste to wealth: The circular economy advantage. McDonough, W., & Braungart, M. (2002). Cradle to cradle: Remaking the way we make things (1st ed). North Point Press.
• Blue Economy - Pauli, G. (2015). Blue economy/version 2.0: 200 projects implemented. Ipg-Academic - Jackson, T. (2017). Prosperità senza crescita - I fondamenti dell’economia di domani.
• Social Innovation - Manzini, E. (2015). Design, when everybody designs: An introduction to design for social innovation. The MIT Press.
• Decentralized Production - Maffei, S. & Bianchini, M. (2013). Microproduction everywhere. Social, local, open and connected manufacturing.
How stakeholders are engaged
FEL aims to create partnerships with institutions and associations and define together urban regeneration projects, starting from the analysis of the needs, followed by the design process to realize urban gardens that allow the citizens to experience the city differently. This process aims to create greater awareness among people, especially students, the citizens of the future, about the responsible use of our resources.
• one example is the workshop for students at the Festival dei Due Mondi in accordance with the municipal assessor of Spoleto. One group of students from the elementary school Beroide created outdoor furniture with designers and artisans based on their specific needs for the school’s reopening after a significant earthquake;
• in Rome, with Ridaje, the municipal assessor of Rome, Laboratorio Linfa and Officine Zero, FEL is working on the regeneration of a park where the citizens can find a bookshelf for bookcrossing and will soon be able to access to a vegetable garden destined especially for children and the differently abled;
• FEL helps to extend the reach of public institutes through different activities which are accessible to the citizens and involve them directly in the process. In this manner they can participate in workshops and work on projects that reflect their actual needs and can offer them a better daily experience in their territory;
• it is currently working with Prologis, one of the most significant Real estate funds for logistics, on the PARKlife™ project, focused on the requalification of the Interport of Bologna and Romentino (NO), two industrial areas in the outskirts of the city. The project’s overall goal is to create products and services that enrich the daily lives of both the employees and the citizens of the surrounding area, resulting in not only a physical meeting point, but in social benefits too. The projects also involve the mayors of the given areas.
• one example is the workshop for students at the Festival dei Due Mondi in accordance with the municipal assessor of Spoleto. One group of students from the elementary school Beroide created outdoor furniture with designers and artisans based on their specific needs for the school’s reopening after a significant earthquake;
• in Rome, with Ridaje, the municipal assessor of Rome, Laboratorio Linfa and Officine Zero, FEL is working on the regeneration of a park where the citizens can find a bookshelf for bookcrossing and will soon be able to access to a vegetable garden destined especially for children and the differently abled;
• FEL helps to extend the reach of public institutes through different activities which are accessible to the citizens and involve them directly in the process. In this manner they can participate in workshops and work on projects that reflect their actual needs and can offer them a better daily experience in their territory;
• it is currently working with Prologis, one of the most significant Real estate funds for logistics, on the PARKlife™ project, focused on the requalification of the Interport of Bologna and Romentino (NO), two industrial areas in the outskirts of the city. The project’s overall goal is to create products and services that enrich the daily lives of both the employees and the citizens of the surrounding area, resulting in not only a physical meeting point, but in social benefits too. The projects also involve the mayors of the given areas.
Global challenges
FEL's operational mode and its implemented projects have important direct and indirect impacts in terms of SDG's and create opportunities to raise awareness of environmental issues through workshops, team building, trade fairs and media opportunities:
• responsible consumption and production: creation of a supply chain for the recovery of wood that allows the material to be given new life to create eco-friendly design fittings and furniture with a sustainable design and production model that reduces waste and CO2 emissions;
• fighting climate change and life on earth: FEL creates urban biodiversity stations, generating gardens that are functional for people and all the elements of nature seeing as they stimulate the development of biodiversity. It promotes the dissemination of culture and encourages the development of a new relationship between citizens and urban nature through initiatives that reach out to workers, students as well as their families. Educational paths are set up with schools and young people to raise awareness about sustainable development and reach their families;
• zero poverty and reduction of inequalities, through the inclusion of fragile people in real projects and with professional training offers employment opportunities and promotes work and social inclusion;
• health and well-being: creates accessible, design-led furnishings that promote sharing and well- being, to reduce stress in the workplace. All furniture is the result of extensive research and the use of non-toxic materials and treatments, free of harmful emissions;
• partnership for goals through the creation of a network of people and organisations capable of acting together for social/environmental sustainability and the representation of a way of working that rewards alliances and encourages the emergence of a new culture of respect for the environment, diversity and human rights.
• responsible consumption and production: creation of a supply chain for the recovery of wood that allows the material to be given new life to create eco-friendly design fittings and furniture with a sustainable design and production model that reduces waste and CO2 emissions;
• fighting climate change and life on earth: FEL creates urban biodiversity stations, generating gardens that are functional for people and all the elements of nature seeing as they stimulate the development of biodiversity. It promotes the dissemination of culture and encourages the development of a new relationship between citizens and urban nature through initiatives that reach out to workers, students as well as their families. Educational paths are set up with schools and young people to raise awareness about sustainable development and reach their families;
• zero poverty and reduction of inequalities, through the inclusion of fragile people in real projects and with professional training offers employment opportunities and promotes work and social inclusion;
• health and well-being: creates accessible, design-led furnishings that promote sharing and well- being, to reduce stress in the workplace. All furniture is the result of extensive research and the use of non-toxic materials and treatments, free of harmful emissions;
• partnership for goals through the creation of a network of people and organisations capable of acting together for social/environmental sustainability and the representation of a way of working that rewards alliances and encourages the emergence of a new culture of respect for the environment, diversity and human rights.
Learning transferred to other parties
The FEL project makes replicability and scalability one of its greatest strengths:
• the process of material recovery, disassembly, design and realisation is replicable in other Italian and foreign territories. FEL is a good partner for companies that aim to create networks and synergies between the CSR programs. Thanks to the active participation in the workshop and the partnership with FEL, partner companies can straightaway realise projects aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;
• the network of partners created by FEL gives the project a glocal peculiarity: on the one hand action is taken on single territories, learning together by doing, on the other hand all the case studies become useful material for the generation of new projects, which can be recontextualised with new local partners in order to respond to the given territory’s needs and involve the community;
• from a technical point of view, research about the regulatory framework, material handling and engineering fields (e.g. pallet disassembly methods that can rationalise the wood reconditioning process) have created know-how on methodology and tools that can be replicated in other scenarios. Sharing the research will be useful for the development and expansion of new good practices in the sector;
• the production cycle involves artisan workshops that are offered a funding opportunity through the assignment of work and the request for consultancy. This creates the preconditions for improving employment opportunities for people who are unemployed or are in socially fragile situations;
• all the processes of collection, sorting, disassembly, material processing, design, production and its application are largely replicable in other production contexts that offer available and usable raw material which can then be upcycled.
• the process of material recovery, disassembly, design and realisation is replicable in other Italian and foreign territories. FEL is a good partner for companies that aim to create networks and synergies between the CSR programs. Thanks to the active participation in the workshop and the partnership with FEL, partner companies can straightaway realise projects aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;
• the network of partners created by FEL gives the project a glocal peculiarity: on the one hand action is taken on single territories, learning together by doing, on the other hand all the case studies become useful material for the generation of new projects, which can be recontextualised with new local partners in order to respond to the given territory’s needs and involve the community;
• from a technical point of view, research about the regulatory framework, material handling and engineering fields (e.g. pallet disassembly methods that can rationalise the wood reconditioning process) have created know-how on methodology and tools that can be replicated in other scenarios. Sharing the research will be useful for the development and expansion of new good practices in the sector;
• the production cycle involves artisan workshops that are offered a funding opportunity through the assignment of work and the request for consultancy. This creates the preconditions for improving employment opportunities for people who are unemployed or are in socially fragile situations;
• all the processes of collection, sorting, disassembly, material processing, design, production and its application are largely replicable in other production contexts that offer available and usable raw material which can then be upcycled.
Keywords
Profit-non-profit partnerships
Upcycling and Circular economy
Innovation, Scalability and Replicability
Eco-Design and Handicrafts
Social inclusion
