Beyond transit, environmental responsibility
Train stations are no longer mere transit hubs, but true urban ecosystems. With over 430 million passengers estimated by the Ferrovie dello Stato Group in 2025, these facilities handle volumes comparable to entire metropolises on the move.
According to data from the Ministry of Health, approximately 24% of the Italian population smokes. If we project this percentage onto rail traffic, we face a huge management challenge. Without a clear strategy, the abandonment of cigarette butts on tracks and in rest areas is not only a matter of decorum, but also an environmental and economic risk for infrastructure managers.
The Solution: Smoker Point as a bulwark of civilization
In stations, the ban, as an end in itself, risks being ignored due to rushed traffic and high user density. The solution adopted is a widespread infrastructure that transforms the station into a model of a smart city:
- Capillarity: With an average of over 50 Smoker Points per station, collection is distributed along natural passenger flows, preventing abandonment at source.
- Information totems: Each collection point is not just a container, but a communication hub. They mark the dedicated area and explain the Re-Cig transformation process, triggering a mass awareness campaign.
- Urban decorum and safety: Reducing cigarette butts on the ground means reducing the costs of special, often complex cleaning between the railway sleepers, and improving the perception of safety and hygiene for the millions of non-smokers on the road.
The results: the national impact of 2025
Performance Northern Italy (19 stations)
| Indicator | Value achieved |
|---|---|
| Smoker Points installed | 1.092 (average 57 per station) |
| Recovered waste | 2.654 kg |
| Units removed from the environment | Over 8,8 million cigarette butts |
| Produced material (Re-ca) | 1.035,16 kg |
| CO2 avoided | 6.184,43 kg |
Performance Southern Italy (16 stations)
| Indicator | Value achieved |
|---|---|
| Smoker Points installed | 880 (average 55 per station) |
| Recovered waste | 1.539 kg |
| Units removed from the environment | Over 5,1 million cigarette butts |
| Produced material (Re-ca) | 600 kg |
| CO2 avoided | 3.586 kg |
A replicable model for mobility
The case study of the railway stations highlights how Re-Cig is not just a service provider, but an ESG partner for large industrial groups:
- Dynamic environmental education: Millions of people come into contact with the recycling message every day. The station becomes an open-air school of sustainability.
- Optimization of operating costs: Centralized and orderly collection drastically reduces the time and personnel needed to clean up scattered cigarette butts, a waste that is particularly difficult to manage in railway environments.
- Traceability and reporting: Providing reliable data on avoided CO2 and plastic produced allows large mobility companies to integrate real results into their sustainability reports.
From the 35 stations monitored, a clear truth emerges: where there's transit, there must be management. The model developed in collaboration with RFI and Grandi Stazioni demonstrates that it's possible to transform one of the world's most widespread wastes into a circular resource, ensuring cleaner stations, more aware travelers, and a planet with fewer emissions.
