Cingomma, an Italian company founded between 2010 and 2011 in Turin thanks to an intuition of Maurizio Sacco, is based on the values of recycling and ethical work.
It relies on the creativity of Italian artisans who create, strictly by hand, excellent accessories through the reuse of old tyres and bicycle inner tubes (but also old advertising posters and industrial waste) which are then transformed into designer objects: belts, bags, key rings, wallets, t-shirts, footwear, but also furnishing items (such as armchairs).
A true green soul is evident in the network of workers united in the creation of beautiful, quality products in full respect of a more sustainable economy.
All the objects made by Cingomma are marked with an identification number (as they are truly unique products) starting from – 1 (the first belt made). The use of the negative sign symbolically underlines how every single product is taken away from a landfill and is completely regenerated and made almost indestructible.
It is estimated that every year in Italy alone about 380 thousand tonnes of tyres are produced for disposal.
Cingomma, therefore, represents a real model of circular economy, as it triggers a real virtuous circle based on the recovery of materials destined for landfill (the company recovers about 20 thousand tyres a year) and at the same time provides concrete help to shopkeepers, struggling with the related problems of accumulation and payment of landfill costs.
Ivan Sartorio, Cingomma’s marketing manager:
“We have worked on the optimal reuse of the recycled product, investing in packaging and quality processing with the aim of making the product competitive on the market, thus allowing it to reach clothing shops. We reuse bicycle tyres and tyres that are recovered from cycle shops all over the country. We send the courier at our own expense to recover the material that would otherwise be destined for waste. In this way we help to reduce the problem of waste disposal by recovering raw materials that we then reuse to produce our accessories”.
Moreover, the Turin-based company aims not only to value and reuse raw materials (thus ensuring the development of a form of circular economy), but also to protect the personal and social needs of its workers.
The well-targeted choice not to delocalise production (thus favouring local distributors) and to maintain working hours of no more than seven hours a day (so that employees can devote more time to themselves and their families) are proof of this precise will.
“Working hours cannot exceed seven hours a day and the products are modelled by local craftsmen and the entire production cycle takes place in Italy. In addition, we decided to create an e-commerce, like most companies, to strengthen our online presence. However, in order to protect and support the network of local distributors (over 250 shops in Italy and abroad) who have decided to sell their products, online purchase is not allowed if there is a physical shop nearby”.
All this is accompanied by the idea of making the fashion industry itself more ethical and sustainable, not only from an environmental point of view but also from a social and economic one, a sector which is unfortunately still (despite recent efforts) among the most polluting on the planet.
The company has signed some important partnerships, including one with ‘Positive Causes’, an association that creates networks between companies that choose to espouse the causes of environmental sustainability.
So, if you have any bicycle wheels to throw away, don’t hesitate, send them directly to Cingomma’s Turin office !!!
Written by
Francesco Tirinato – Junior Project Manager (JUMP Team)
Sources:
https://www.dire.it/10-05-2021/631623-pneumatici-di-bici-diventano-cinture-borse-e-ora-anche-scarpe-ecco-cingomma/
https://www.exibart.com/design/cingomma-lazienda-tutta-italiana-che-ti-fa-indossare-la-tua-bicicletta/
Photos by:
https://cingomma.com
