Organised by RCS Sport, the Giro d’Italia is claimed to be ‘the only stage race of worldwide importance to have sustainability at its heart.’ For the sixth year in a row, the event, taking place this year from May 8th-30th, will support the ‘Ride Green’ project.
Banca Mediolanum is the title sponsor of the Corsa Rosa’s green project in its sixth edition, together with partners BiciScuola, Giro-E, ‘Regala un Albero’ CONOU, Scarpa, Biraghi and Cofidis.
The initiative promotes the recycling, monitoring and tracing of all waste produced by the race in order to protect the areas that the Corsa Rosa crosses.
In 2020, despite the difficulties caused by the Covid-19 emergency, the Giro d’Italia managed to collect over 45,000 g of race-related waste, 89% of which was recycled. This was in line with what had been achieved in the past few editions of the race, and one that places the Corsa Rosa among ‘the most sustainable events worldwide’.
The sustainability drive wouldn’t be possible without the cooperation and active participation of all stage cities and municipalities involved in the Giro. Stage Committees facilitate the Giro’s collaboration with companies and local consortia in order to recruit volunteers from all over Italy that help promote the Ride Green initiative during the event, as well as manage waste collection and recycling.
Among Ride Green’s top objectives are waste sorting, recycling, upcycling, performance measurement and raising public awareness around the impact waste has on the environment.
The last two editions of Ride Green have seen a collaboration with the BiciScuola project – a 20-year-old educational program that brings younger generations closer to the world of cycling and the Giro d’Italia, by teaching them about positive values that come with the sport. The project also fosters discussion on ever-urgent themes such as sustainable mobility and environmental protection.
This year’s Corsa Rosa will also promote experiences like Giro-E, the e-bike stage event, now in its fourth edition, that brings amateur cyclists onto the Giro’s roads to enable them to experience the pro-cycling atmosphere.
‘The mobile initiative promotes a new way for people to get around, encouraging the switch to sustainable mobility. The Giro-E is indeed a project that truly shares the core values of Ride Green.’
A new initiative that’s part of the Giro’s green journey is ‘Regala un Albero’ (gift a tree). The project has been conceived this year together with Banca Mediolanum, title sponsor of Ride Green 2021, and already the sponsor of the Maglia Azzurra at the Giro d’Italia.
‘Regala un Albero’ aims to compensate for CO2 emissions produced by the Corsa Rosa in 2021 by planting 1,600 trees across 300 hectares of land, in the Sila National Park. Located in the Calabria region (South of Italy), the Sila is one of the biggest green areas in Europe. In 2014, UNESCO listed it as the tenth MaB (Man and the Biosphere) in Italy, for its impressive biodiversity heritage.
Banca Mediolanum will donate a tree for each Giro d’Italia rider (176 trees), plus 21 trees for every Maglia Azzurra awarded, and 1,000 trees for the overall winner of the Giro d’Italia.
Among the other partners for Ride Green are CONOU, the national consortium for the management, collection and treatment of recycled mineral oils. A leading example in the field of circular economics, CONOU is one of the main green economy organisations in Italy, which, since the 1980s, has focused on hazardous waste collection.
Then there is Scarpa, an Italian outdoor footwear brand that’s long been making ecological and eco-sustainable production choices to protect the environment. The Venice-based business has recently launched its ‘Manifesto Green’, which includes, among its flagship products, the Mojito Bio: a 100% biodegradable pair of shoes.
Another partner will be Biraghi, a leading dairy factory in the Piemonte Region, which invests in the research of new sustainable production techniquesy. For years, the company has enhanced sustainable production in its local branch at Cuneo.
And finally, there’s consumer credit specialist Cofidis. The business also has cycling in its DNA, with its WorldTour team that will be participating in the upcoming Giro d’Italia. Positioned as an environmentally-friendly organization, in 2020, Cofidis Group launched its own green project called #LikeMyPlanet, with the aim of reducing the group’s carbon footprint by 30% before 2023.
The latest new development for Ride Green 2021 relates to its media partners: alongside La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Corriere della Sera will be taking part in the project too, together with its supplement ‘PIANETA 2021’ – a publication that is dedicated to the environment and ‘further supports the Giro’s green vision’.
