Recycling of Paper and cardboard in Italy is a success story that highlights the value of collective participation and the circular economy. Today, our country recycles over 90% of cellulosic packaging—a remarkable figure that demonstrates how separate collection has become an integral part of our daily lives.
According to the latest updates from Comieco—the National Consortium for the Recovery and Recycling of Cellulose-Based Packaging—3.7 million tons of paper and cardboard were collected and sent for recycling in 2024. This substantial number underscores the tangible positive impact that each of our actions can have on the environment.
What is Comieco and its role in recycling?
Comieco (www.comieco.org) is the national consortium that has been overseeing the collection, recovery, and recycling of paper and cardboard in Italy for over thirty years. By coordinating companies, institutions, and citizens, it promotes awareness projects and ensures the efficiency of the recycling supply chain.
Among its most significant initiatives is PaperWeek, the “Week of Paper and Cardboard Recycling”: a national information and training campaign that engages schools, families, professionals, and opinion leaders through free events—both in-person and online—to highlight the value of recycling and the journey of the materials we use daily.
Arbos at PaperWeek with RICICREO
For Arbos, which has made recycling its corporate mission for nearly 40 years, participating in PaperWeek was a natural choice. Each of our products is born from recycled materials—such as paper, cardboard, and regenerated leather—and comes to life through sustainable design and creativity.
In this spirit, on Saturday, April 12, we organized RICICREO, a special event designed to involve people of all ages in an immersive experience in the world of recycled paper. A day to discover that recycling is not just an ecological duty but can become a creative and shared act, capable of inspiring and prompting reflection.
A Day Full of Emotions and Participation
The event took place in our production department, opened to the public for the occasion, and featured numerous activities:
✂️ Origami Workshops
Two workshops—one for children and another for adults—allowed participants to experiment with recycled paper. Even those who had never tried origami discovered how easy and rewarding it is to transform a sheet into a small work of art. Colors, shapes, and imagination brought forth surprising creations. It was touching to see the joy in the eyes of the little ones as they folded the paper with their hands.
🎨 Live Artistic Performance
Three students from the Nove Art Institute created a live performance on a large cardboard wall, interpreting the themes of recycling and nature with talent and sensitivity. Their art took shape before the audience’s eyes, transforming into a collective work thanks to the contributions of visitors, who were invited to leave a personal mark on the “recycling tree“: a shared symbol where everyone could add a drawing, a thought, or a reflection on the importance of environmental respect. A simple yet powerful gesture that represented everyone’s commitment to a more sustainable future.
🖼️ Permanent Exhibition
In our exhibition hall, visitors could explore a selection of our products, the result of years of research, collaboration with designers, and a passion for sustainability. Each object tells a story: that of a material reborn and of those who chose to give it new life.
A Thank You and an Invitation to Do More
RICICREO was a moment of great participation, emotion, and sharing. We witnessed enthusiastic individuals, curious children, inspired people, and conscious citizens, united by a common value: respect for our planet.
For us at Arbos, it was an honor to contribute to PaperWeek and play our part in demonstrating how the recycling of paper and cardboard can be a driver of beauty, innovation, and awareness.
👉 Let’s continue this journey together. Every small gesture counts.
Recycle, create, respect. Because paper can be recycled. And it will reborn.