Our participation in Hospitality 2020

The 44th edition of Hospitality - la fiera dell’accoglienza closed on 5 February, and this year we participated in the section dedicated to sustainable tourism.

The event, which has collected about 29000 visitors, with the offer of the 561 exhibitors, acts as a collector of all the experiences and skills acquired in over 40 years of history about “hospitality”.

Plastic free certification leaved from the teramane hills to reach Riva del Garda to support the campaign Not In My Planet in the event Not in my future - Food separated from plastic, organized by ADEP - Autonoma Provincia di Trento, Comunità Alto Garda e Ledro.

We leaved in the afternoon of Monday, after one of the rare meetings where (almost) all of us are present, to reach Lake of Garda late at night and just to see it sleeping covered by fog.

The next morning we met the other participants of the meeting: Fabio Berlanda, (ADEP), Ernesto Brambilla, (Bargiornale) moderator, Antonio Castagna, Environmental Expert, Mauro Franzoni (Levico Acque), Andrea Oss Papot (Big Service), Camilla Santagiuliana, (Risto3).

After a brief presentation of our realities and experiences, we started to talk about plastic and plastic free alternatives, with particular attention to the sector of Ho.re.Ca..

The focus was the commitment to reduction/abolition of use of plastics through alternatives and re-use practices. However, the commitments and initiatives of people have been slowed sometimes by safety regulations (a. e.: Ordinance No. 47, June 2018 about ban on the use of glass for drinks outside) or by practical reasons, such as weight and management of traditional dishes, glasses and cutlery (eventually rented) in outdoor events.

Plastic Free certification had the opportunity to explain one of the cornerstones of its vision: only through a de-conditioning of attitudes and habits we can arrive to the adoption of practical solutions.

Sharing virtuous practices (best practices) of the companies already certified or in the process to Certification according to the Plastic Free Standard is the best way to testify the actions fielded for the reduction of plastic, and to confirm that it is not impossible to start walking a path of change. Very simply, unity is strength.

Each idea that arises from a single reality can be adopted and replicated in many cases and is not necessarily more expensive or more difficult than others.

If we multiply this process for all the parts, we create such an incubator of possible solutions that anyone can use to undertake a plastic free journey.

The path is only at the beginning, the road is drawn step by step, but the fog lifts.

And with it, we leave the Lake with the good impression of having given to the wind a seed: if it will find breeding ground, Mother Earth will pick its fruits, also from this part of the world.

Paolo Vasi