Saint Francis of Assisi: rendering a religious community sustainable and circular
Organisation or Company
Type of organisation or company
Country
Italy
City
Assisi
Key Area
Project elaborated in partnership
Yes
Partners
Sector
Scope
Description
Fra’ Sole is a sustainability project involving the monument complex of Saint Francis of Assisi and its nearby forestry, olive groves and vegetable gardens. The project has gained the support and endorsement of relevant firms in the Italian circular economy and ethical finance sectors in order to:
- Significantly reduce the environmental impact of the religious community and of the pilgrims visiting the site, with total decarbonization of the complex as end goals.
- Make the project replicable by drafting policies that might be applied to similar closed systems (schools, hospitals, jails, residential structures).
- Raise ecological awareness among visitors and pilgrims, while spreading good practices of sustainability.
Stages of the project:
- Shared strategical planning among the promoting organizations.
- Technical analysis and report on:
a. Material flows
b. Energy flows
c. Procurement
- Planning and implementing the best available solutions for the areas of intervention.
- Drafting a project report and regulations to replicate good practices in similar closed systems.
- Disseminating good sustainable practices among pilgrims and visitors.
Main activity field
Identified challenge (s)
Main results
- Elimination of single-use products at the events of the religious community, replaced with biodegradable and compostable products.
- No more purchasing of water in plastic bottles, thus saving around 13 000 plastic bottles every year.
- Use of biodegradable and compostable disposable products and coffee pods at the coffee points.
- Introduction of 1 200 bins for the separate collection of waste; reorganisation of the internal collection with consequent reduction in undifferentiated waste from 50% to 30%.
- Introduction of a composting point for the recovery of organic waste (7 300 kg/year).
- Restoration of the historical tanks for the collection of rainwater, to be reused in cultivations.
- Electricity supply through renewable sources.