Minibasket in piazza

"Minibasket in Piazza" 2023 is sustainable with the "Plastic Free - Let's Differentiate ❤️" project.

The “Minibasket in Piazza” is getting closer and closer! This basketball event, a highlight of the Matera summer, is not only Italian but truly international, with representatives from four continents. Matera, and beyond, will be the hub of youth basketball from June 18th to 24th. The joy of the young basketball players will bring life, color, and warmth to the various courts set up for the games, aiming to entertain girls and boys aged between ten and eleven, who will animate this 2023 edition of “Mini Basketball in the Square”.

But “Minibasket in Piazza” is not just about sports and fun; it’s also about education in coming together. And in this historical period, being educated to be together also means having respect for the world we live in. And thus, the “ecological side” of “Minibasket in Piazza” is revealed. In fact, this season, as has happened in the past, each child participating in the event will be given an aluminum water bottle that they can use throughout the time they play during the “Minibasket in Piazza” week, and they can also take it home. This is to avoid the continuous use of plastic bottles, the disposal of which, as we know, is not so easy.

This initiative is part of the “Plastic Free – Let’s Differentiate ❤️” Project. Indeed, the aluminum water bottle is ecological, reusable, customizable, and easy to use. Approximately one thousand units will be distributed to all tournament participants. The “Plastic Free – Let’s Differentiate ❤️” Project estimates that in the 168 matches, involving around 750 young basketball players, plus instructors and chaperones, the use of about 11,000 plastic bottles will be avoided. This contributes to reducing plastic usage during the event and educates and sensitizes children about pollution through ludic and didactic activities.

Additionally, Pielle Matera and the organizing committee of “Minibasket in Piazza” have created signs to be placed above the bins at the locations where the matches will take place. These signs depict a basketball hoop with the word “Recycle” and the material that bin should contain, namely paper, glass, or plastic. A fun way to encourage children to “score in the right way.”