At Ecomondo 2025, Ecopneus explains how the new environmental criteria for roads can make infrastructure safer, more durable and more circular.

Who wouldn't want to travel on quieter, safer roads, knowing they were built in part thanks to the recycling of the tyres they replaced? The good news is that the tool to turn this wish into reality already exists: the Criteri ambientali minimi (Cam) – minimum environmental criteria – dedicated to roads. These are guidelines that public administrations must include in tender notices for the construction and maintenance of infrastructure, promoting the use of recycled materials and low-impact solutions.

Nearly a year after they came into force, the Cam strade were at the heart of a debate promoted by Ecopneus at Ecomondo 2025, during the conference "Strade sicure, durature e sostenibili: la traccia che vogliamo lasciare nel futuro" ("Safe, durable and sustainable roads: the mark we want to leave on the future"). The event – moderated by LifeGate editor-in-chief Roberto Sposini – brought together institutions, companies, technical experts and associations, and shed light on one key truth: the sustainability of infrastructure is no longer a theoretical goal, but an operational urgency that demands collaboration, training and a shared vision.

The debate was opened by the results of a survey conducted by LifeGate in partnership with Ecopneus, which polled its community to gauge awareness and perception of asphalt made with recycled rubber from end-of-life tyres (Pneumatici fuori uso, or Pfu).

The data reveals growing but still partial awareness: 95 per cent of respondents believe that asphalt made with recycled rubber can reduce traffic noise, yet almost half had never heard of it. Sixty per cent know that Pfu are used to make sports surfaces or sound-absorbing panels, but only 21 per cent are aware of the real figure: Italy already has more than nine hundred kilometres of roads built with this material.

When asked who should be responsible for the sustainability of cities, the majority pointed to citizens, businesses and institutions alike – a clear signal that the ecological transition is seen as a shared responsibility. Yet, while public awareness is growing, a parallel survey conducted by Eumetra and Ecopneus reveals that 61 per cent of public administrations know little or nothing about the content of the new Cam strade. This is the starting point for Ecopneus's reflection: how do we turn awareness into concrete action?

"The time for storytelling is over – it's time for action," declared Giuseppina Carnimeo, director general of Ecopneus, opening the discussion. A message that captures the phase the sector is going through: after years of raising awareness, the moment to move to facts has arrived.

To illustrate the significance of this moment, Carnimeo drew on a powerful comparison: Sweden's Dagen H (from Högertrafik, meaning "right-hand traffic"). Just as on 3 September 1967 Sweden switched overnight from driving on the left to driving on the right, so the introduction of the Cam strade marks the culmination of a long period of preparation and the beginning of a new era for infrastructure.

Ecopneus is today an active player in this transformation, recovering more than 168,000 tonnes of Pfu every year and turning them into new resources.

This vision is also brought to life by the campaign "L'unica traccia che vogliamo lasciare nel futuro" ("The only mark we want to leave on the future"), which tells the story of tyres' second life through images and sound. The video shows how recycled rubber – once waste – becomes a material for new roads, spaces and surfaces that improve everyday life: sports pavements, sound-absorbing surfaces, low-noise-impact asphalt. A symbol of an economy that regenerates itself and gives back value.

For Sergio Saporetti (Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security), the main challenge is the poor familiarity with innovative materials among designers. But the Cam strade, he explained, are a genuine strategic lever for connecting infrastructure design to the objectives of the Piano nazionale di ripresa e resilienza (Pnrr) and European sustainability regulations.

One perceived barrier to the adoption of recycled-rubber asphalt is its higher upfront cost compared to conventional asphalt. However, all the experts present agreed that this is a short-sighted economic approach: over the medium to long term, the investment is fully recouped thanks to the material's greater durability and lower maintenance costs.

Edo Ronchi, president of the Fondazione per lo sviluppo sostenibile, drew attention to a crucial point: the impact of the climate crisis cannot be ignored in any cost-benefit analysis. "We are living through an unprecedented climate crisis and consuming resources beyond their capacity to regenerate. What bearing does all of this have on cost-benefit assessments?" Another concern for Ronchi is that the transition requires simplification and a decisive investment in knowledge: "There is important work to be done on training and information, with a whole-supply-chain perspective."

From the associations' side too, as Andrea Minutolo of Legambiente emphasised, the circular economy is already reshaping the sector's paradigm: "Today roads must guarantee not only sustainability, but also performance. In this sense, the Cam respond well to these needs, shifting attention to the performance of the work itself. Fewer waste materials, less extraction, more circularity." According to Minutolo, making this possible requires new skills and green jobs developed from university level onwards.

First-hand field experience was brought by Patrizia Bellucci, head of innovation and sustainability at Anas. The company has been working since 2011 on quieter road surfaces, investing heavily in research. Through the European Life Silent project, it has demonstrated the real benefits of asphalt made with recycled rubber. "Against an initial cost increase of 8 per cent, long-term estimates show a 36 per cent reduction in costs, thanks to greater durability," Bellucci revealed.

But how can the barrier of limited knowledge be overcome? Alessandro Pesaresi, president of Siteb (Strade italiane e bitumi), speaks of an "organisational challenge": large contracting authorities are ready, but smaller municipalities struggle due to a lack of resources and expertise.

The answer lies in practical tools and standardisation. Ecopneus is also working on this front, making training and monitoring programmes available to technical professionals and administrations, as highlighted by Serena Sgarioto, innovation manager at Ecopneus.

Ecopneus has developed practical tools such as operational kits and checklists that help administrations incorporate the Cam into tender notices and verify their application. "The key words are concreteness and standardisation," explained Paolo Fabbri, president of Punto 3, stressing that training is fundamental to genuinely integrating environmental criteria into procurement processes. And for Elena Mocchio of Uni (Ente italiano di normazione), the answer lies in standardisation, to ensure uniformity and reliability.

The final message is clear, and it aligns with the perception expressed by the LifeGate community: sustainability is a shared responsibility that demands collaboration, training and concrete tools. The mark we want to leave on the future, then, is made of quieter asphalt for more liveable cities, of recycled materials for a circular, waste-free economy, and of infrastructure that is more durable, safer and less costly. Commitment must move from intention to practice, ensuring that knowledge and tools genuinely reach those who design and decide – turning every kilometre of road into a step forward towards a more resilient future.