The Giro d’Italia organisers have revealed the results of ‘Ride Green’, backed by Banca Mediolanum, the race’s social responsibility and eco-sustainability project.
For a number of years, 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.
In a release, Giro organiser RCS Sport stated… ‘In 2021, Ride Green Banca Mediolanum 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.’
List of awarded municipalities [RD = differentiated waste].
Stage start towns and municipalities:
1. Siena (91,07% RD)
2. Modena (90,98% RD)
3. Stupinigi (Nichelino, Provinces of Torino) (90,60% RD)
Stage finish towns and municipalities
1. Sestola (Provinces of Modena) (92,05% RD)
2. Montalcino (Provinces of Siena) (91,57% RD)
3. Novara (90,60% RD)
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.
The Regala un Albero initiative born aims to offset 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 region.
RCS adds that 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.
Banca Mediolanum donated 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
BiciScuola is an educational program created 20 years ago to bring children closer to the world of cycling and the Giro d’Italia. This year’s 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 topics, including sustainable mobility and environmental protection.
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.”
