Do you know what you have in your hands? Nothing less than the iconic flower with four petals drawn on it, made of recycled plastic from the very hotel you’re staying at. It’s the tile that covers most of Barcelona’s sidewalks. Why a flower? What does it mean?
Before 1906, Barcelona was known as “Can Fanga” due to frequent rainfalls that covered the city in mud (“fang” in Catalan). In 1906, the city council sought a solution and commissioned the creation of sidewalk tiles. Eventually, they developed 10,000 square meters of pavement adorned with the iconic flower. Since then, the flower of Barcelona (known as “Panot”) has become a symbol of the city, forever changing its appearance after rain showers.
A project made by Andròmines and AC Hotels
“Take your plastic back” is a project with two main purposes:
- Collecting plastic waste from hotels and transforming it into PANOT souvenirs.
- Promoting social and workforce inclusion for vulnerable groups facing severe social and employment difficulties.
Take your plastic back! One project of Ecodisseny (En)
Our mission
We begin by collecting plastic bottles made of HDPE and caps made of PP. The process is simple: clean, sort, grind, and transform the plastic into a product. Here’s a visual representation of the process:
The Results
On average, a plastic bottle weighs 80 grams, and caps weigh 4 grams. Our final product, the PANOT souvenir, weighs a total of 8 grams:
1 plastic bottle = 8 PANOT souvenirs
2 caps = 1 PANOT souvenir
Social Benefits
By managing plastic waste locally and engaging people in situations of social exclusion, we prevent improper disposal of these plastic bottles that could end up in countries in Asia and Africa due to poor waste management. Remember, in Europe, 40% of collected plastic is exported.
Environmental Benefits
“Take Your Plastic Back” achieves a maximum emission of 0.56 kg of equivalent CO2 for each kilogram, resulting in a minimum reduction of 25% in emissions! Additionally, our production utilizes plastic waste, avoiding the extraction of new resources. Local waste management generates fewer greenhouse gases compared to conventional methods.
In Catalonia, managing 1 kg of plastic waste accounts for 0.745 kg of equivalent CO2, leading to 175,924 tons of equivalent CO2 emitted every year (Source: Third Climate Change Report in Catalonia).
Contribute to the city!
Your residue is your gift. Are you thinking of buying souvenirs for your family or friends? Choose our “panots” and contribute to our positive impact on the city!