Asti, a dinosaur with eco-balls of waste wins the Repixed award [Video]

The blue eco-bales of recycled plastic bottles form the body, the black ones from the fruit crates the feet, the transparent white ones from the films the crest and the eye: this is how the recyclosaur came to life in the imagination of Alice Sottani, aka Pimals, the The 27-year-old artist originally from Vicenza, winner of the Repixed open call launched by Gaia spa.

An artistic competition to show the artistic side of recycled waste with a view to giving ever more meaning and importance to the recovery of materials that save important pieces of the planet by saving raw materials.

This morning, Friday, the work was unveiled and the young artist was awarded an award.

The work was placed on the floor in one of the new boxes created for the storage of plastic already selected in the complex plant inaugurated two years ago and intended for companies that recycle it and give it new life. But it is possible to see it in full thanks to a tarpaulin that reproduces it.

The competition of ideas pushed the artists to create a work of fantasy in 80 pixels (a small square unit of measurement for digital screens). Except that here each pixel was represented by a pressed ecoball measuring one cubic meter.

It was aimed at artists of all ages and 104 drawings arrived: from children to seniors.

Alice’s was the winning work but two others worthy of mention were selected: “I was just a caterpillar” by Silvia Dall’Ava, teacher from Orsago di Treviso and “Ambiente” by Inissar Zarroqi, 14 years old, student from Narzole in the province of Cuneo. Dall’Ava created a butterfly with the megapixels available while Intissar composed a natural environment with a tree and clouds.

«My dinosaur belongs to the past but wants to be a warning for the future – explained the winner – We must make sure that we do not become extinct like him, starting with the reuse of waste materials». A total of 49 ecoballs were used to create her drawing.

Giancarlo Vanzino, president of Gaia spa, underlined how clear the message of the winning work is: «Start from the origins and think about the future of the earth through recycling. It was an important communication initiative parallel to the development of the industrial activities of Gaia which represents 114 member municipalities of Asti and Iren Ambiente. We have innovated the selection of plastic with an automated line and today we try to tell the story of the achievement of this important objective with a work of art that uses the final product of this strong differentiation”.

Also present at the award ceremony was Paolo Foietta, president of the newly formed Regional Waste Authority who commented «Waste Art is a movement imported from Anglo-Saxon countries and is an important sign of the times. Our duty as administrators is to develop a system that allows us to definitively close down landfills.” Making a move also with the beliefs about the waste-to-energy plant: «There is a lot of hostility towards plants of this kind, but the ratio of emissions into the atmosphere between a waste-to-energy plant and a landfill is 1 to 10».

Appreciation for the artistic dissemination initiative also came from Davide Migliasso, delegate from the Province and mayor of San Damiano, the municipality where the Gaia spa composting plant is located.

«The continuous work of adapting Gaia’s plants for the most cutting-edge solutions benefits the environment and creates job opportunities. Furthermore, the company is also close to the institutions because, thanks to the contribution as compensation for hosting the composting plant, we have created a sidewalk useful to citizens”.

Two classes from the Cavour and Baussano schools were also present as part of the cyclical visits to the plants that Gaia organises. «It is good for children to learn the value of recycling from an early age» said Cbra president Luigi Giacomini while the CEO of Gaia, Fracaro, recalled that tomorrow, Saturday 25 April from 9 to 13 the gates of the plant will be open for visits by citizens, commented: «Offering people the opportunity to visit the plants is the most effective way to change mentality on the world of waste, no longer considered waste but resources for an industrial reality at the center of the economy circular”.

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