Description
Over four quintals of used corks, equivalent to around 70,000 corks: this is the donation that the Donne del Vino della Toscana (Women of Wine of Tuscany), led by Donatella Cinelli Colombini, brought today to the Associazione Donne Insieme Valdelsa (Women Together Association of Valdelsa) in support of women victims of violence.
The project Fair Corks (Tappi Solidali) is a local best practice where green practices, such as the collection of used materials, namely corks, become new raw material for circular design creations whose commercialization income is devoted to local anti-violence centres’ activities and support services.
The collected corks represent a valuable raw material to be transformed into interior design creations to be sold to the public.
The initiative has:
Collected over 70,000 used corks.
Collected over €2,300 to be devoted to territorial anti-violence centres in Tuscany (IT).
Involved many stakeholders at community level (associations, winemakers, foundations).
Increased the collected amount up to €5,000 thanks to linked crowdfunding.
Doubled the amount thanks to local foundations.
The initiative is part of a wider project, namely the SUBER PROJECT supported by AMORIM CORK Italia.
Why this matters for Grapes of Change
This project can be considered a local best practice for Grapes of Change because it is a virtuous example of multistakeholder cooperation. Designers, social operators, volunteers, companies, shops and citizens were involved in cork collection activities. Different types of private stakeholders cooperated in designing the project and implementing awareness-raising activities at community level to collect corks, which symbolically represent joined forces against violence.
The initiative creates synergies between ethical actions aimed at improving the quality of life of local people, especially women. The project is also a way of recognising the crucial role played by anti-violence centres at territorial level.
Joint sensitization campaigns support the creation of a collective culture and mindset against violence, especially GBV, making women feel protected and supported by a widespread social network.
Lessons learned
Community-based projects are crucial to changing behaviours against violence, engaging people and increasing awareness regarding GBV in all its forms.
Co-design and co-creation represent effective tools to implement complementary and convergent actions at territorial level, capable of producing changes at least in people’s attitudes towards GBV.
Virtuous local practices can start from small, simple and everyday actions, such as collecting corks, and generate tangible social impact to which every citizen or stakeholder can contribute depending on their role and activity.
Green projects based on recovering and recycling corks can contribute to improving social sustainability in addition to environmental protection and resource conservation.
One limitation is that the initiative is mainly an awareness-raising and sensitization project. Its impacts are primarily linked to communication campaigns, stakeholder engagement and support for anti-violence centres. Direct evidence of long-term behavioural change against violence is currently not available.
Sources and further information
Tappi solidali, le Donne del vino contro la violenza di genere – Rivista di Agraria.org
Tappi solidali, dalle Donne del Vino della Toscana risorse per il centro antiviolenza
Sughero & Riciclo | Amorim Cork Italia S.P.A. | Produzione e vendita di tappi in sughero