- Through an innovative circular economy project, implemented by Principia in collaboration with the University of Western Macedonia and the Bioeconomy & Environment Cluster of Western Macedonia (CluBE), the children of the Center for Recovery - Rehabilitation, Day Care for People with Disabilities "Kivotos" acquired a new original wooden playground symbolically named "Ark".
- For the construction of the playground, pallets and wooden rotors from a development project of Principia in Kozani were reused.
Principia has completed a new innovative project that utilized the principles and practices of the circular economy to offer education and empowerment to children but also to strengthen the entertainment infrastructure of the Center for Recovery - Rehabilitation, Day Care for People with Disabilities "Kivotos", in Kozani, which has been operating in the country since 2000. The "Creation of the Ark" project was funded by the company, with the contribution of the Bioeconomy & Environment Cluster of Western Macedonia (CluBE) and the scientific support of the Department of Visual and Applied Arts of the University of Western Macedonia.
Through the Project, the artistic skills of the children hosted at the Center were developed, the perception of the wider community on the value of the reuse of materials and the circular economy was strengthened, and the relationship of the local community with the University of Western Macedonia was further cultivated, through the internship of 35 students who were employed in the different stages of the construction of the "Ark".
More specifically, 500 pallets that transported the photovoltaic panels to the "Perasma" solar park under construction, as well as 6 huge 1.5m diameter impellers with medium voltage cables used in the project, constituted the raw material for this important project, which was divided into three phases:
- Last December, the Center utilized some of the materials to create Christmas greeting cards, decorative ornaments and gifts, which were artistically curated by the children. The children's creations were offered to Principia employees, and were donated to the Center's Christmas bazaar.
- Then, students of the Sculpture and Decoration Laboratories of the Department of Visual and Applied Arts of the University of Western Macedonia created original and utilitarian wooden toys that helped the children of Kivotos to develop their imagination and promote their social integration.
- The culmination of the project was the creation of the wooden playground called "Ark", inside the premises of the Center. More than 450 man-hours were allocated for its construction and natural timber was used, as well as Principia's pallets and impellers from the "Perasma" solar park under construction. The ark can receive dozens of children at the same time, constituting a unique meeting point, coexistence and respect for diversity. The area is covered and suitable for wheelchairs, so that every child has free access to play. In order to complete the "setting" of the "Ark", the remaining raw materials were transformed into wooden toys, which have been placed inside the playground.
The support for the "Ark" project, which annually benefits 120 families in the wider region, is a practical proof of Principia's commitment to giving back to society and is added to a number of circular economy projects, such as the reuse of old merchandising materials in the context of rebranding in collaboration with Fabric Republic and the creation of a recreation area at its "Soros" wind farm, in Evros. Guided by innovation and creativity, the company aims to create mutual value in the areas where it operates.
