Talking Sustainability with the Student Team EcòPoli

Talking about sustainability is the first step toward understanding its many facets and applying it more effectively in both the workplace and in society. That is the mission of EcòPoli, a student team that has been focusing on environmental topics since 2017. The group develops sustainability-centred projects and organises awareness campaigns aimed at both the academic community and companies, which are involved in training initiatives and environmental education.

The student team aims to turn sustainability from an abstract concept into a concrete responsibility. “Our goal is to help the academic world become a true testing ground for sustainable best practices in all their forms – explains Tonia Tommasi, Professor at the Department of Applied Science and Technology-DISAT and academic coordinator to the team – We design and implement various initiatives for both teaching staff and students, focusing on waste management and actions to reduce the Politecnico’s environmental impact”. Through these efforts, EcòPoli works alongside the Politecnico’s Green Team, which has long been dedicated to enhancing campus sustainability.

“We like the idea of our university becoming a model for a sustainable campus year after year – adds Valerio Giunta, current team leader of EcòPoli – Each year, the team selects a specific theme (the most recent was carbon footprint) and creates workshops and seminars around it. We also produce podcasts and collaborate with Radio OndeQuadre to better spread information”.

Beyond awareness and outreach, EcòPoli has long been involved in managing the Politecnico’s collection of WEEE (Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment). Recently, the team has started exploring sustainable fashion. One of their first projects involved improving waste sorting across campus: the organisation and mapping of waste collection points, and the analysis of opportunities for improvement. Today, the team includes about 30 students from various degree programs.

But what can EcòPoli offer to businesses? “A lot – says Giunta – We can bring the same type of initiatives we do on campus into companies, tailoring them to specific business needs and involving employees in the process”.

Examples include waste management, WEEE collection, recycling systems, and, more broadly, environmentally conscious practices that can be implemented in offices and workspaces.

And there is more. “Members of EcòPoli not only have solid engineering backgrounds but also a deep awareness of environmental issues, an asset that can be extremely valuable in a corporate setting”, Giunta emphasises: “We’re not just communicators; we also handle the planning and organisation of the outreach events themselves. We believe it’s crucial to combine scientific knowledge on sustainability with the skills to effectively communicate and implement it”. Through this work, students in the team gain both technical and organisational skills, as well as a strong sensitivity to environmental issues and the broader themes of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, an approach that can bring real value to businesses.