Launch of Circular Economy Project at Italian Design Week in South Africa
Italian designer Matteo Cibic unveiled ‘Circular Trees’ during Italian Design Week in South Africa. This artwork explores recovering precious metals from electronic waste and symbolizes the collaboration between Italy and South Africa. The initiative aims to promote sustainability and create jobs while offering socio-economic benefits to local communities.
During Italian Design Week, Matteo Cibic, an Italian designer and Ambassador for Italian Design 2025, introduced a transmedia installation titled ‘Circular Trees’ in South Africa. This presentation was held in collaboration with the Italian Consulate in Cape Town and the Italian Cultural Institute in Pretoria. The installation explores ‘Contemporary Alchemy’, focusing on the technological process of recovering precious metals from electronic waste.
This initiative strengthens the connection between Italy and South Africa, highlighting the collaboration of companies dedicated to sustainability and innovation. Partnering with Holding LEM Industries Spa, which encompasses prominent Italian firms in the high-fashion and luxury accessories sector, and its South African subsidiary, Cape Refining, the project aims to replicate Italy’s successful circular economy efforts. A new hydrometallurgical plant has recently opened in Tuscany, facilitating the recovery of precious metals from e-waste.
The ‘Circular Trees’ installations embody the transformative potential of recycling, showcasing sculptures made of recovered gold and palladium shaped as trees with trunks and branches composed of electronic chips. This artwork also seeks to provide socio-economic advantages to local communities in South Africa by generating new employment opportunities and enhancing living conditions in the regions involved.
The Italian Design Week showcased a collaborative effort to promote sustainability through innovative projects like ‘Circular Trees’. This initiative reinforces the partnership between Italy and South Africa, focusing on the recovery of precious metals from electronic waste. By fostering economic growth and environmental awareness, such projects highlight the importance of a circular economy in addressing global ecological challenges.
Original Source: ansabrasil.com.br
