“CircOLIamo”: the environmental information is on the road

by Silvia Musso

After the 2007/2008 edition, last February, "CircOLIamo" started again. It is the on the road campaign of the COOU, the Italian Consortium of Used Oils, aimed at raising public awareness on proper management of used lubricating oil, the one that recovers at the end of the life cycle of lubricants in machinery of factories and industries, but also in cars, boats and agricultural vehicles of every citizen.

In the two years the COOU truck will cross all the Italian provinces stopping in many places to meet people, media and local institutions.

To make us better explain the interesting campaign we have contacted the director of COOU communications, engineer Antonio Mastrostefano.

What is the new edition of the campaign and how it will develop?
«In this edition, we wanted to highlight that to protect the environment through the collection and disposal of an hazardous waste such as used lubricating oil, can become a resource.
We also wanted to emphasize the role that municipalities can play to catch the used lubricating oil resulting from the do-it-yourself. Within our promo-truck we will have the opportunity to dialogue with local institutions, businesses, trade associations, environmental organizations, citizens and young people. The information will have different approaches depending on the interlocutors.
A big innovation, that has been introduced in the new edition, is to combine the traditional day stay in the provincial capitals with few stops of several days in those cities that are considered strategic geographically, economically and socially and that we have defined "metropolitan city". For the first time during these stops, individuals will be able to dispose the used lubricating oil in our village. Moreover, the very young can enrich their information for environmental education by playing the big "Oil Game"».

The distinctive feature of this campaign is the itinerant information. What are aspects of strength and which are the difficulties and weaknesses of this kind of communication?
«Talk of environmental issues "in the street" makes us closer to the local environment, and to the public who feel concerned and involved. This year, then turn more attention to raise young people’s a wareness, meeting them in schools and theaters with the show "ONE WAY. The road to the future" created and led by Luca Pagliari, journalist and actor of Rai Educational channel, through which we want to give small and incremental environmental pills of wisdom. Our local presence also allows us to point out that local governments do not always manage to equip themselves with adequate infrastructure for the people that need to dispose the used lubricating oil. We show as examples the collection centers the all municipalities should adopt, but that in many cases have not yet been prepared».

In these last few days the first phase of the campaign has just ended and it seems to have already received positive results highlighted by the strong focus of the institutions and by the interest shown by citizens and by the large participation of schoolchildren.

There will be many other stops all around Italy. The “CircOLIamo” truck is on the road so be ready to welcome it!