This is the sixth edition for KiSS Mugello, the sustainability programme of the Italian Motorcycle Grand Prix. Environmental initiatives first, but there's also a social side. The goal: raising awareness of the importance of sustainability issues in sport events, as in everyday life.
As is traditional since 2013, sustainability was once again "on track" at the Italian Motorcycle Grand Prix, the sixth round of the 2018 World Championship, held at Mugello Circuit. KISS Mugello-Keep It Shiny and Sustainable, the environmental and social sustainability programme of Mugello Circuit, ran for the sixth year in a row. The programme aims to raise awareness of the importance of sustainable ways to behave within big sport events, also by showing numerous best practices in the environmental and social space that people can bring into their everyday life.
A programme, and a circuit, that set precedents at world level
In 2013 KiSS Mugello set a precedent as the first programme of its kind in the world. A few weeks ago KiSS Mugello was honoured to be included in the report "Playing Our Planet. How Sports Win from Being Sustainable" published by UEFA, WWF and GREEN SPORT ALLIANCE, an overview of the world's best practices with regard to environmental and social sustaiability initiatives in the sporting industry. Mugello Circuit itself holds some records in terms of sustainability: it was the first circuit globally to obtain the recognition of “Achievement of Excellence”, the highest level of accreditation in the environmental sustainability programme launched by FIA (Federation Internationale de l’Automobile). It also obtained environmental (ISO 14001, EMAS) and health and safety (OHSAS 18001) certifications.
Environmental initiatives: Even cigarette butts in the sights!
Since its first edition, KiSS Mugello focused on waste sorting in order to reduce the environmental impact of the event. The programme aims to provide fans and spectators - most of them are used to camping all the week-end long on the Tuscan hills surrounding the circuit - with the appropriate information and tools, and to create the conditions for them to better collect and separate waste. That means: distribution of waste sorting guides to circuit operators; distribution of about 20,000 recycling bags kits to fans and spectators; recycling area in the paddock; cooking oil collection service provided free of charge for hospitalities in the paddock; more than 100 free drinking water fountains for fans and spectators across the circuit. Four KiSS Mugello info-desks were placed both in the paddock and in the spectator’s area, each of which equipped with mini-recycling areas.
For the first time this year, a couple of mobile info-desks ("green cargo bikes”, with onboard photovoltaic pedal-assisted system and equipped with recycling bins) were run by the KiSS Crew (the staff wearing “KiSS Mugello” branded uniforms) around the circuit, in the spectator’s area, ensuring that a larger part of fans and spectators could be reached by KiSS Mugello. That specific initiative was carried out in cooperation with Corepla and Ricrea, the Italian National Consortia for recycling and recovery of packaging (non-profit Institutional Partners).
Further new initiatives this year: cigarette butts waste awareness campaign; glass recycling awareness campaign, carried out in collaboration with CoReVe (Italian National Consortium for the management, collection and treatment of glass); distribution of information leaflets about correct waste sorting also to food stands along located around the circuit; and in the paddock area the placement of a very special waste compactor, a "reverse vending machine", whose aim was to encourage the "incentive recycling" of plastic bottles and aluminium cans.
KiSS Mugello this year also involved the students of “Impulse Modena Racing Association” (non-profit sport association), the “Moto Student” project of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (UNIMORE), who designed and built an electrical motorcycle.
In 2018 KiSS Mugello sought once again to overcome the results of past editions (51% of waste sorted, about 75,000 Kg, in 2017).
KiSS Mugello also hosted a celebration event for World Environment Day (WED) falling on June 5th, promoted by UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme).
Social initiatives: Non-profits and social enterprises involved
Along with environmental initiatives, KiSS Mugello promotes social initiatives as well, where various non-profit organizations and social enterprises are involved. As in the past, one of the most heartfelt initiatives (included in the official Grand Prix time schedule, on Thursday, May 31st, in the afternoon) was the solidarity Pit Walk dedicated to boys and girls with disabilities, coming from local non-profits, that had the chance to walk along the pit lane and visit the box of the racing Teams.
On Saturday, June 2nd, and Sunday, June 3rd, in the afternoon, a collection of food surplus was carried out in collaboration with the hospitalities of the circuit and teams that join the initiative. The initiative was organized together with Fondazione Banco Alimentare (non profit partner) and Cuki (technical partner providing the "food boxes kit", in aluminum and fully recyclable) and aimed to contribute to the fight against food waste (according to FAO estimates, food waste amounts to about 1.3 billion tons every year, roughly 1/3 of the global food production for human consumption).
Web and social media campaign
As in the previous years, KiSS Mugello was supported by a communication campaign on web and social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram).
The official hashtags are #KiSSMugello, #ItalianGP, #FIMRideGreen.
Kiss Mugello network
KiSS Mugello was made possibile thanks to cooperation among a broad network of players, with new members coming in each year.
KiSS Mugello is promoted by Mugello Circuit, FMI (Italian Motorcycling Federation) and FIM (International Motorcycling Federation), Dorna (the Spanish company holding the rights for the World Motorcycling Championship) and IRTA (The International Road Racing Teams Association).
Team supporters: Aprilia Racing, Ducati Team, Gresini Racing, LCR Honda Team, Marc VDS Racing Team, Reale Avintia Racing, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, SKY Racing Team VR46, Speed Up Racing, Team Suzuki Ecstar, Tech3 Racing, Yamaha Motor Racing.
Supporting companies: Berner Italia, Initial Italia, Lyreco Italia, Nexive.
Institutional partners: leading Italian National Consortia (non profits) for the recovery and recycling of packaging: CiAl (aluminum), Comieco (paper and cardboard), Corepla (plastic), CoReVe (glass), Ricrea (steel). And FSC Italia, who joined the network this year.
Technical partners: Airbank, Alia Servizi Ambientali, Cooperativa L’Orologio, Cuki, Eco.Energia (Olly®), Ecologia Soluzione Ambiente, Eurven, Spazio Aperto Società Cooperativa Sociale, VAN4YOU Noleggio Furgoni, Virosac, VR|46.
Non-profit partners: Fondazione Banco Alimentare Onlus, Impulse Modena Racing.
Patronage: KiSS Mugello was carried out under the patronage of: European Commission, Ministero delle Politiche Agricole Alimentari e Forestali, Ministero delle Infrastrutture e dei Trasporti, Città Metropolitana di Firenze, Unione Montana Comuni del Mugello, Comune di Scarperia e San Piero.