ZeroZero Toner project

With a view to the circular economy and sustainable waste management, the Politecnico di Milano launched the ZEROZERO TONER project in May 2020. This project covers the management of all types of printing consumables generated by the University's peripherals (such as printers, multifunction printers, photocopiers, and plotters).
The service is structured as a maintenance contract that the Politecnico has awarded through a specific subscription. It includes not only the management of the materials but also the supply and management of containers (ecoboxes) for their collection.

There are 8 dedicated consumable collection points, one for each production campus, in which a total of 47 ecoboxes have been positioned: 39 in Città Studi, five in Bovisa, and three at the Lecco Territorial Campus. Considering annual production, it was possible to define a collection frequency for each location, estimating a total annual production of 128 containers.

The project represents a concrete example of a circular economy: the collected material undergoes a treatment that allows the separation of secondary raw materials (dust, plastic, iron, aluminum, etc.) which are reintroduced into the secondary production market, ensuring complete waste recovery.

Furthermore, the service includes an agreement with PRINT RELEAF for global reforestation based on the number of containers managed during the subscription period.

By virtue of the partnership between BERG PHI and PRINT RELEAF, the Politecnico, as a ZEROZEROTONER customer, is credited with the planting of one tree for each ecobox included in the subscription and actually collected during the contract period.

In 2021, the Politecnico managed all the containers provided for in the contract during the period in question – for a total of 128. Therefore, the same number of trees were planted in the Dominican Republic. In 2022, 114 boxes were disposed of, totaling 1,505 kg of recovered material (iron, aluminum, plastic, dust).

Certificates attesting to the Politecnico's participation in the reforestation program are published on this page.

2021: 128 trees planted in the Dominican Republic

2022: 114 trees planted in Mexico

2023: 136 trees planted in Tanzania