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RIDE GREEN Awards

07/07/2021

Ride Green Awards

The results are in for the social responsibility project of the Giro d’Italia linked to separate waste collection at stage locations, the Biciscuola programme, Giro-E and the new initiative “Regala un Albero”. The municipalities that have most distinguished themselves have also been recognised. Present at the Ride Green Awards was Olympic and World Champion Paolo Bettini, special guest of the event and Banca Mediolanum ambassador.

The Giro d’Italia, which ended just over a month ago with the victory of the Colombian Egan Bernal, today reveals the results of Ride Green Banca Mediolanum, the race’s social responsibility and eco-sustainability project.

For some years now, the Giro d’Italia has recognised the most active municipalities that have distinguished themselves during the event in promoting the protection of their territory through separate waste collection. It’s a closing moment, appreciated by local promoters and the Ride Green Partners who this year once again renewed their faith in the value of this initiative. In particular, an effective contribution comes from the municipalities of the individual stages of the Giro d’Italia, which act as intermediaries between the companies and the local consortia to enlist volunteers across the country in the ‘eco-islands’ during the race’s 21 stages.

In 2021, Ride Green Banca Mediolanum truly demonstrated the results of this winning formula, with an extraordinary result, made even more so by the Covid 19 emergency: over 46,000 kg of waste was collected during the Corsa Rosa, of which 85% was separated and sent for recycling

REGALA UN ALBERO (‘GIVE A TREE’) – Another important element in the Giro’s sustainability mission, introduced this year was the “Regala un Albero (‘Give a Tree’) initiative with Banca Mediolanum, title sponsor of Ride Green and sponsor of the Maglia Azzurra. Banco Mediolanum is a company that has always been aware of the pressing urgency to adopt a new economic, social and behavioral model that has the well-being and prosperity of all at the center of its actions.

‘Regala un Albero’ is an initiative born with the aim of offsetting the CO2 emissions produced by the Corsa Rosa through the planting of 1200 new trees in an area of over 300 hectares located in the heart of the Sila. Sila is one of the great green landscapes of Europe, which became in 2014 the tenth Italian Biosphere MaB (Man and the Biosphere) in the World Network of UNESCO sites of excellence and which preserves an important heritage of biodiversity that is worthy of protection.

Banca Mediolanum was able to donate a tree for each rider taking part in the race, for a total of 184 trees, as well as 21 trees, one for each Maglia Azzurra, and a thousand trees for the winner of the Giro d’Italia.

BICISCUOLA – For the third consecutive year, Ride Green Banca Mediolanum has enriched itself with the experience of BiciScuola, the educational program created 20 years ago to bring children closer to the world of cycling and the Giro d’Italia. This edition of the project saw the involvement of 143 institutes, 1867 classes and over 46,000 pupils from all over Italy, with online activities carried out on ever-current topics, including sustainable mobility and environmental protection.

GIRO-E – These projects also naturally support the work of the Giro-E, the e-bike experience. It’s an event that showcases the benefits of the latest technologies applied to electric bicycles and is an ambassador for a new culture of mobility that puts sustainability first.

REGALA UN ALBERO – Altro tassello importante, aggiunto in questo 2021, che ha valorizzato il percorso intrapreso sei anni fa, è stato l’iniziativa “Regala un Albero” con Banca Mediolanum, Title sponsor dello stesso Ride Green e già sponsor della Maglia Azzurra del Giro d’Italia. Azienda, da sempre, consapevole della stringente urgenza di adottare un nuovo modello economico, sociale e comportamentale che abbia al centro del proprio agire il benessere e la prosperità di tutti.

Un’iniziativa nata con l’obiettivo di compensare le emissioni di CO2 prodotte dalla Corsa Rosa attraverso la piantumazione di 1200 nuovi alberi in un’area di oltre 300 ettari situata nel cuore della Sila, uno dei grandi polmoni d’Europa, diventato nel 2014 la decima Biosfera Italiana MaB (Man and the Biosphere) nella Rete Mondiale dei siti di eccellenza dell’UNESCO e che custodisce al suo interno un importante patrimonio di biodiversità, meritevole di protezione.

Banca Mediolanum ha potuto regalare un albero per ogni corridore partecipante alla Corsa, per un totale di 176 alberi, oltre a 21 alberi ad ogni Maglia Azzurra di giornata e mille alberi per il Vincitore del Giro d’Italia.

BICISCUOLA – Per il terzo anno consecutivo Ride Green Banca Mediolanum si è arricchita dell’esperienza di BiciScuola, il programma educativo ideato 20 anni fa per avvicinare i più piccoli al mondo della bicicletta e al Giro d’Italia, che in questa edizione ha visto il coinvolgimento di 143 istituti, 1867 classi e oltre 46.000 alunni di tutta Italia con attività online svolte su temi sempre attuali, tra cui la mobilità sostenibile e la tutela ambientale.

GIRO-E – Affinità totale anche con il Giro-E, la e-bike experience a tappe con biciclette a pedalata assistita. Un evento che rappresenta la fiera itinerante delle ultime tecnologie applicate alle biciclette elettriche, ambasciatore di una nuova cultura della mobilità che mette al primo posto la sostenibilità.

Paolo Bettini – Olympic Champion at the 2004 Athens Olympics, World Champion in Salzburg (2006) and in Stuttgart (2007) said: “Cycling and the Giro d’Italia in particular have continued in recent years to focus on eco-sustainability. Compared to when I was a professional, important steps have been taken: for example, ‘green areas’ have been introduced for the riders where they can throw their water bottles, allowing them to be recovered without polluting the environment. This is already a very good starting point. I have been able to follow the Ride Green project closely, being at the Giro d’Italia as an ambassador for Banca Mediolanum, which is also the title sponsor. I’ve known the company for a long time and I know that it is particularly attentive to these issues, supporting many social responsibility projects as a result. I believe that the Giro d’Italia and cycling should continue on this path and act as an example to millions of fans who follow this wonderful sport.”

Roberto Salamini, Head of Marketing & Communication of RCS Sport, said: “Even in this year, which remains a very particular one, we wanted to renew Ride Green and even feed it into new projects such as “Regala un Albero” (‘Give a Tree’) We also wanted to link it with existing initiatives like separate waste collection in the stage host-cities, and Biciscuola – a programme that is now in its 20th edition. These projects are an extremely important part of the corporate social responsibility and environmental sustainability of the Corsa Rosa. We at RCS Sport are aware of how the Giro d’Italia, beyond its sporting aspect, is a formidable communication tool that promotes the values of the sport and tells the story of the territories, culture and history of our country. Our sincere thanks go to the municipalities and partners who have chosen to support Ride Green, starting with Banca Mediolanum, which has embraced it in its entirety”.

There have been many Partners of Ride Green 2021. In addition to its title sponsor Banca Mediolanum, the project is also supported by CONOU, the national consortium for the management, collection and treatment of used mineral oils: an internationally recognized champion of the circular economy and one of the main operators of the Green Economy in Italy which, since the 1980s, has dedicated its activity to the separate collection of hazardous waste.

CONOU is joined by SCARPA, an Italian brand of outdoor footwear, which has always been attentive to issues such as environmental protection, and adopts ecological and eco-sustainable materials in its manufacturing. BIRAGHI is also present, the most important dairy processor in Piedmont, a modern and innovative company which constantly invests in the research of new production techniques and in the development of human resources, focusing on 100% Italian quality and authenticity. And finally Cofidis, consumer credit specialist, who has a sport like cycling in his DNA. Sensitive to the green theme, aware that the world of sport can also contribute significantly to environmental policies, Cofidis has decided to back the Ride Green project and has chosen the team captain Elia Viviani as an ambassador

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