FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Suissegas Milano Marathon: The First Sport Event in Italy and First
Marathon in Europe to be Awarded the
Council for Responsible Sport Certification and Aims Green Award
Milan, December 6th, 2013 - ReSport Certification and AIMS Green Award:
thanks to these two international awards in the 2013 season, the SuisseGas
Milano Marathon can be considered with no doubts the most social and
environmentally responsible sport event in Italy, joining the elite of
great international marathons making the environment and social
responsibility a top issue on their road to success.
A success that requires a long term work, having to face high level
competitors that, as the Milan organizers did, have decided to accept the
challenge of the ReSport Certification by the Council for Responsible Sport
- the US organization which certifies the level of social sustainability
of sport events, supported in Italy by IMQ (Istituto Italiano del Marchio
di Qualità) and the inaugural AIMS Green Award presented by AIMS
(Association of International Marathon and Distance Races), the IAAF
affiliated organization.
RCS Sport team worked for more than 9 months in 9 frameworks: waste, energy
and climate, contracts, impact and community involvement, healthy
lifestyle, integration and innovation, sponsors and exhibit locations,
implementing environmental and social initiatives to receive the credits
necessary for the certification. Among the 40 initiatives set up by RCS
Sport, the following are amongst the most important ones.
Environmental initiatives: only online registration (no paper); no use of
polystyrene or Styrofoam and plastic packaging for race material (80 kg
less compared to 2012); press releases only in electronic form on pen
drives; reduction of the total weight of the official handbook distributed
to all participants (from 353,938 kg in 2012 to 265,2211 kg in 2013,
decrease of 25%); reuse of materials and equipment from previous
competitions and editions like inflatable arches, banners, start and
arrival gates, directional signage; production of a limited number of
t-shirts only for the participants that opted-in to receive it; agreement
with Milanese Environmental Service Company (AMSA) to use
environmentally-friend road cleaning vehicles after the race and
installation of portable toilets equipped with green characteristics,
essential for maximum wastewater toxicity reduction. Thanks to the
collaboration of volunteers, the organization studied the right positioning
of the waste separation system (paper, plastic, organic, undifferentiated)
in the Marathon Village the days before the race and along the race course.
All clothes left by participants at the start line were collected by Humana
People for People Italia NGO and the food and water bottles left over from
the refreshment points were donated to "In –Presa" charity and to "Banco di
solidarietà Madre Teresa" charity. A program was implemented with Esosport
to collect, through special boxes placed in the Marathon Village, used
running shoes for recycling to obtain pavements for playgrounds and sport
facilities.
Emission reduction: institution of an "ecological Sunday" by the
Municipality of Milan with no car circulation on race day and free public
transportation tickets to all participants, one ride tickets transformed to
daily ticket for all citizens, use of the Milan city bicycle system for
free (bikeMi service). The most revolutionary initiative implemented by the
organization of the SuisseGas Milano Marathon was the new system "deposit
or exchange" for bag drop-off for the Relay Marathon. This solution
involved actively all participants and, consequently, had less impact on
the environment, without the necessity of bag transportation by trucks. The
building Palazzo della Regione Lombardia, which hosted the Marathon
Village, is powered entirely from renewable sources and in 2012 received
the special award for "the best skyscraper in Europe" by the Council of
tall buildings and Urban habitat (CTBUH) of Chicago. Inside the Marathon
Village were positioned special devices developed by Innovation in Sciences
& Technologies (Is-Tech) to reduce air pollution. All these initiatives
were shared and appreciated by the stakeholders involved in the
certification process.
Great attention was also given to young people through a program with CUS
Milano (Sports University Center) to involve college students (dedicated
discounted registration fees). Besides that, a special award was given to
the youngest 18 years old who finished for the first time a marathon (by
IMQ), while the NABA students (Arts and Design Academy) were involved to
design the commemorative poster of the SuisseGas Milano Marathon.
Even the Charity Program has set a new record for fundraising in sports
event in Italy, involving 141 NGOs and reaching over € 600,000.
It has been a challenge in the challenge, with RCS Sport team focused on
the hard mission to involve the greatest number of runners and, at the same
time, reaching all the goals set by the Council for Responsible Sport and
AIMS: "… not only to receive the awards, but most of all to guarantee the
lowest impact on Milan environment" said Andrea Trabuio, Race Director of
the SuisseGas Milano Marathon. "We couldn't say no to the challenge of
being as much sustainable as possible, it was essential for us, but also in
respect of our participants, the city and the sponsors".
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