The RECYCLE-CIG box is at the heart of the initiative and it represents a fundamental tool for the organised collection, recovery and recycling circuit of small WEEE

The innovative 0:1 take-back scheme approach has already been adopted by 30,000 retailers throughout Italy

Rome, 7 August 2024

Logista, Europe's leading distributor of products and services for points of sale, launches today a nationwide awareness campaign to promote the proper disposal of electronic cigarettes at the end of their life cycle.

The campaign addresses the issue directly and in an informative way, following an in-depth sector analysis. The concept takes the form of a claim with an informal register: Dove vanno?  (“Where do they go?”). The answer for the end consumer is a distinctive box: a practical solution to a daily problem. Finally, the color scheme emphasizes environmental sustainability.

The campaign aims to "achieve a higher level of environmental protection through more effective management of the collection, transportation, recycling, and preparation for reuse of very small Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) generated by tobacco heaters, electronic cigarettes, and related components", as described in the Programme Agreement Logista signed last September with Ministero dell’Ambiente e della Sicurezza Energetica(MASE), Federazione Italia Tabaccai, and the WEEE Coordination Center. The Agreement led to the creation of RECYCLE-CIG, an organized circuit for collecting, recovering, and recycling used e-cigarettes, which expanded nationwide in 2024, with 30,000 tobacconists participating across the country.

This initial communication wave is supported by a media plan extending to the end of the year, with a print campaign in newspapers, magazines, and trade press. Numerous touchpoints aligned with the target audience will also be activated. The latter include social media, radio, cinema, streaming platforms, merchandising, and a "team" of 10 prominent influencers in the national digital landscape.

The project's landing page will serve as the hub for various launches and will be continuously enriched with insights, testimonials, new tools, and updates on collection progress.

Thanks to RECYCLE-CIG, consumers can easily and conveniently dispose of used electronic cigarettes—WEEE (Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment)—at their trusted tobacco shop – with collection points significantly increased compared to the past - regardless of purchasing new products thanks to the innovative "one against zero" take-back procedure.

Participating retailers are easily identifiable through the interactive map on logista.it and the Logista per te App, where additional information such as opening days and times is also available.

Federico Rella, Vice President and Corporate Affairs Director, Logista Italia, stated: "We decided to invest in this important campaign because it is crucial to raise end consumer awareness regarding the proper disposal of electronic cigarettes once they reach the end of their life cycle. Sustainability permeates all of Logista's activities, particularly through reverse logistics initiatives that are perfectly integrated into the company's business model, such as reusing packaging for deliveries to customers and, of course, the new RECYCLE-CIG. How often, when sorting waste in our homes, do we wonder where to throw this or that waste? Why not ask ourselves 'Where do used or broken electronic cigarettes go?' The answer is simple: at the tobacco shops, in the RECYCLE-CIG containers! This project represents a step forward toward a circular economy model and provides concrete support to the entire supply chain".

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> Landing page RECYCLE-CIG