The Princess of Wales’s visit to Remida, the creative recycling centre, in Reggio Emilia

The Princess of Wales visited Reggio Emilia Remida today, the creative recycling centre based at Caffarri, in Via Gioia, within the research facilities of the Reggio Children Foundation. The Santa Croce neighbourhood gave her a warm welcome; among the crowd were children from several schools and nurseries, including the Andersen nursery school and the Girotondo nursery.    

She was welcomed by Nora, a 9-year-old girl who presented her with a bouquet of flowers, Francesco Profumo, president of Fondazione Reggio Children, Barbara Donnici, research coordinator at Fondazione Reggio Children, and Eloisa Di Rocco, workshop leader and coordinator of Remida, who accompanied the Princess. Waiting inside were the Mayor of Reggio Emilia, Marco Massari, and the Councillor for Education, Marwa Mahmoud. Nando Rinaldi, Director of Infant - Toddler Centres and Preschools - Istituzione of the Municipality of Reggio Emilia, introduced the history and aims of Remida, as did Arturo Bertoldi, Director of EduIren, the educational department of Iren. Together with Fondazione Reggio Children,, these two bodies form the governing body of the Remida Recycling Centre. 

A visit full of questions and insights

Princess Catherine Middleton spent a long time talking to the people who welcomed her, as well as representatives from various organisations and experts, in different settings and discussing various activities; she was intrigued and asked many direct questions. She was “fascinated by Remida” and stated that “it is vitally important for teachers to gain first-hand experience with the materials and for companies to lead the way in sustainability”.      

The princess was shown the activities taking place in the various spaces of the Fondazione Reggio Children at the former Caffarri feed mill, each serving a different purpose and set up with the support of partner the LEGO Foundation. Carla Rinaldi served as president until 2024. Fondazione Reggio Children is one of the three fundamental components of the Reggio Emilia educational system, alongside the Istituzione and Reggio Children srl. It was established by the Municipality of Reggio Emilia in 2011, in collaboration with international partners, and its research is closely linked to the concept of solidarity in educational emergency contexts, with a particular focus on quality education for children and people up to the age of 99. It manages national and international projects in suburbs and areas affected by the economic crisis, committing itself to the fight against educational poverty. The Foundation is also an industrial partner of the ‘Reggio Childhood Studies’ PhD programme at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia.                                   

Remida, the Creative Recycling Centre, was founded in Reggio Emilia in 1996, drawing inspiration from the experience of nursery schools and early childhood centres, and forms part of the Reggio Emilia Approach. This year marks its 30th anniversary. It was born from an idea by the former director of the schools to provide materials to stimulate creativity. From the outset, the project involved local businesses thanks to a partnership with the municipal waste management company, now known as Iren. Remida embodies the value of the ‘Hundred Languages’ through the materials that form part of everyday life in Reggio Emilia’s schools. Remida has also developed a network of Remida centres around the world.                   

An in-depth tour of the Remida premises and materials

The Princess of Wales paid particular attention to the areas of Remida where workshop leaders run sessions with schools or groups of teachers. There, the Princess paused to examine the waste materials on display – various types of plastic, fabrics, paper and cardboard, and wood – in the space where these are collected and made available to teachers. She took an interest in some documentation of the workshops with the children, as well as a project carried out with four primary school classes and their teachers on materials and the sounds they make. It is a space where teachers can learn how to use materials by exercising their creativity and developing an eco-friendly mindset.                   

Meeting with businesses on creativity, materials and sustainability

The Princess then took part in a round-table discussion on creativity, materials and sustainability alongside a number of companies based in Reggio Emilia that supply materials to Remida. The round-table was chaired by President Francesco Profumo, who introduced the representatives of the companies present. Costanza Maramotti, a member of the Board of Directors of the Max Mara Fashion Group and a board member of the Giulia Maramotti Foundation, which focuses on education; Gianluca Bufo, CEO and General Manager of the Iren Group; Lorenzo Nannariello, Head of Sustainability at Tetra Pak; and Andrea Calcagnini, Marketing Director at Pluricart and a shareholder.                   

Workshop on music, movement and materials with children

In the adjacent immersive space, Riccardo Ronzoni, a workshop leader at Fondazione Reggio Children, led activities with children, playing and exploring the interactions between music, materials and movement.
This was followed by a presentation by Cristian Fabbi, director of Fondazione Reggio Children, who outlined a number of international solidarity projects.

“The princess has this natural empathy that enables her to convey emotions, feelings and ideas in a way that certainly goes beyond what is normally possible,” comments Francesco Profumo, president of Fondazione Reggio Children.

“It was a morning of great interest,” continues the former minister. “She is very familiar with the Reggio Emilia Approach, but naturally she wanted to experience it first-hand. She told me that when she told her children she was coming here, they wanted to come too, and she said, ‘We’ll come back, and you’ll come too.’ This also gives a sense of her humanity.”

“On the other hand, I believe she was very pleased because she saw some of the ideas she had developed over the years come to fruition,” adds the president, speaking about the visit to the Remida Centre. “This relationship between the public sector, the private sector, schools and businesses is very interesting, and she saw the process in all its complexity, but also in terms of its feasibility. So, during the meeting with the entrepreneurs, it was highlighted how this corporate social responsibility is a key element, because it enables projects like this one on reuse to take shape and come to fruition.” The princess  “is very interested” in this topic, which she seems intent on developing further in the future.

“It was a wonderful day,” concludes President Profumo, “with a huge turnout from all the staff at the Reggio Children Foundation, whom I would like to thank in particular for their kindness and skill, but also for their professionalism, which naturally made it possible to organise an event that was far from straightforward but, I believe, a success.”

Princess Kate was presented with a copy of Carla Rinaldi’s book *In Dialogue with Reggio Emilia* – published worldwide – by staff from Fondazione Reggio Children, as well as some items made from fabrics crafted by Remida volunteers, and she expressed her deep gratitude.

“Today’s wonderful morning and the impression that the Caffarri has made are the result of the work initiated by Carla Rinaldi’s vision and her desire to create an open space that combines research, creativity and innovation. In this sense, her presence today was evident in the dialogues, the sense of wonder and the conversations that enlivened Princess Kate’s visit,” says Cristian Fabbi, General Director of Fondazione Reggio Children.

“Today more than ever,” concludes Fabbi, “it is clear how necessary it is to work together, with the local area and its public and private sectors, to create opportunities for our communities, families, and all children, and to raise awareness of this experience and its focus on quality education for everyone.”

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