As with all Slow Food events, the most important element of Slow Fish is the program of educational activities: school lessons, cooking classes for adults, opportunities for tasting food and wine, meetings with experts and producers, musical and theater performances, events with prestigious chefs and, above all, the huge market with dozens of products: from fresh fish just off-loaded by Ligurian fishers to preserved fish products, from oils up to Presidia breads and from spices to aromatic herbs. There will be something for everyone.
But in an event aiming to be good, clean and fair, how easy is it to choose low-pollution materials for venue set-up or to reduce food waste and manage waste material?
Over several years, Slow Food has developed a model for Low Environmental Impact Event Management in collaboration with the Industrial Design department at Turin Polytechnic and the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo
These are some of the solutions applied at Slow Fish 2013:
We use biodegradable plates, glasses and cutlery, which are then composted.
Slow Fish says no to plastic in favor of biodegradable and compostable materials for tableware and bags. This is thanks to our long collaboration with Novamont and the cooperation of exhibitors who use these materials within their areas.
Mater-Bi® cellulose pulp and PLA can be collected in the organic bins at the separated-waste collection points and composted.
We separate our waste, what about you?
Through our collaboration with Genoa waste collection company AMIU, Slow Fish collects separated waste (plastic, paper and cardboard, glass and cans, organic, wood and cork, oil and residue miscellaneous) from the event in three ways. First are the clearly marked collection points for public use; second, a “stand-to-stand” system in which waste separated by exhibitors is collected directly from their stand; and finally there is collection of (mainly organic) material from catering areas. The different types of waste are then transferred to recycling plants under the supervision of AMIU.
A second life for steel
What can used tuna or anchovy tins be turned into once used? All kinds of imaginative ideas are developed by Ricrea, a consortium that recycles and recovers steel packaging, transforming it into bicycles, benches and many other useful objects. Ricrea designed and produced some of the fittings for the Slow Fish Market from recycled steel, including the bench tops in exhibitor stands. The have also produced 10,000 cashboxes for the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity’s Thousand Gardens in Africa project. Money collect in these boxes during the event will support the establishment of new food gardens in one of the 25 African countries involved in the project. Outside of the event, the collection boxes will be distributed around Italy to continue raising funds – to the Earth Markets, Slow Food-supporting osteria, wine shops and other retailers, and to Slow Food convivia who will collect funds during all events held from now until the Salone del Gusto and Terra Madre 2014.
The food and wine program of Decanter Radio 2 will also speak about the initiatives, hosted by Ricrea with broadcasts live from Slow Fish.
At Slow Fish, Ricrea also organizes the educational activities Tales from the Sea… of men, fishing boats and food! for primary school children. At the Edmondo De Amicis International Children’s Library, readings, stories and tastings will be held by fishers to teach young children about fish products, their nutritional qualities and the steel containers that they are preserved in
An auction to learn to recycle
Objects and trash abandoned on land often end up in the sea. To raise public awareness of reuse and recycling at Slow Fish, AMIU, Ricrea and Slow Food are organizing a Recycle Auction on Sunday May 12 at 5 p.m., with materials recovered from the sea and refashioned for the occasion by Genoese artists. The proceeds from the auction will be donated to the Thousand Gardens in Africa project. This initiative was inspired by AMIU’s recycling facility, which recovers and restores furniture, books and toys and offers them back to the public for a donation to UNICEF.
Eco-friendly graphics and communication material
Signage and communication materials are printed on recycled and certified FSC material, produced by Sabox using waste paper collected in several municipalities of Campania. For every ton of board produced by Sabox there is a saving of 1,250 kg of CO2 compared to using virgin fiber. The use of recycled board also avoid the use of 2,300 sq m of forex, a plastic material made of PVC.
Large-size signage is printed on EverGreen canvas sheets made of a polyester support with a water-based covering. The sheets do not contain PVC, phthalates, formaldehyde, phosphates or glycol ethers, saving the use of around 3,000 sq m of PVC. At the end of the event the sheets are transformed into attractive and useful Slow Bags, designed by Sciolla Company and produced by Turin fabric workshops. Products made using recycled canvas signage from previous Slow Food events are sold at the Slow Food Membership stand.