As part of our commitment to sustainability and solidarity, we have chosen to participate in a project promoted by the Associazione Semplicemente, a voluntary organisation based in Genoa Pegli that has been working for years to promote the integration of people with disabilities. The aim is to raise awareness in the community and create active collaboration with citizens.

What does the project include?

The "ECOPOINT" project, recognised by the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA) and the Italian Alliance for Sustainable Development (ASVIS), includes activities to reclaim and rehabilitate green spaces, combined with a workshop to build cubes clad and filled with soil and natural fibres.
Our contribution will be to supply cork granules from processing waste to be used to clad the green cubes: a way of promoting a circular economy and raising awareness of recycling and reusing resources wherever possible.

How did the project start?

SempliceMente association is based on the assumption that climate change affects everyone, including people with disabilities, who may have a responsibility to play an active role in the pursuit of sustainable development.
As voluntary organisations often do not have sufficient economic resources, it often happens that, when the need arises after a housing emergency for a variety of reasons, many of them find themselves powerless and unable to help others.
In order to remedy this critical situation, the workshop was conceived as a mutual aid experience for the solution of the age-old problem of the right to housing. Traditional construction is expensive and one of the dirtiest forms of human activity. The ECOPOINT Cube would fit into this picture as a model of housing that is socially, environmentally and economically sustainable.

What are the advantages of this project?

The Cubes are made from raw earth and a variety of natural fibres, including cork: all natural and sustainable materials that do not require large amounts of energy to produce and that help to reduce the environmental impact of traditional construction. In addition, clay and cork are durable materials with good thermal and acoustic insulating properties, equal to or better than those found in man-made materials.
From a social perspective, the project provides integration and employment opportunities for people with disabilities (mental, physical or visual). Self-building is an emotionally engaging and interesting experience. It is also a process that can be adapted to people's different abilities and offers them the opportunity to acquire skills and knowledge useful for future job placement.

What about the future of the project?

Although the project is still at an early stage, it has already received the support of both public and private institutions. The ECOPOINT Cube could be an important solution to contribute to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda goals, in addition to being a symbol of a lasting friendship between the community of Genoa Pegli and the land of Sardinia.
It is hoped that the model will be replicable in other Italian and international realities, contributing to the promotion of the use of natural and sustainable materials in the housing sector and to the creation of new opportunities for the integration and job placement of people with disabilities.