EN: Herning becomes the first municipality in Denmark to launch esosport, bringing circular recycling of sports materials from Italy to the Nordic region

Herning becomes the first municipality in Denmark to launch esosport, bringing circular recycling of sports materials from Italy to the Nordic region

Herning Municipality and ESO RECYCLING Danmark ApS announce the launch of esosport in Herning, marking the first municipal implementation of the project in Denmark. The initiative places education, citizen participation and local engagement at the heart of a practical circular economy model: residents and students will be able to bring end-of-life sports shoes and other sports materials, and see them transformed into new, useful products for the community.

 

esosport was created in Italy in 2009 and has grown into a proven municipal model. Today, the project is active in Italy with a network of municipal partners, currently serving 292 municipalities. Through dedicated collection systems and awareness activities, the project intercepts sports materials that would otherwise become waste and converts them into secondary raw materials suitable for new applications.

 

From Italy to Denmark: ESO RECYCLING Danmark and the choice of Herning

 

Building on the success achieved in Italy, ESO RECYCLING established ESO RECYCLING Danmark ApS as a platform for the Nordic market. Herning was selected as the base for the project due to its strong industrial identity and long-standing connection to textiles and manufacturing, and because the Municipality embraced the initiative as a concrete way to bring circular economy into everyday life.

 

A recycling facility in Herning is currently in planning, with the objective of serving the Nordic region. The initiative is conceived as a long-term development, aligned with local values, regulatory frameworks and environmental standards.

 

Herning: first municipality in Denmark to implement esosport

 

Herning Municipality is the first municipality in Denmark to start the esosport project. Through the direct involvement of schools and the broader community, the initiative connects everyday actions with concrete sustainability outcomes: a waste stream becomes a resource, and circular economy becomes visible and understandable.

 

Collected materials will be mechanically processed into granulates and transformed into applications such as:

 

• flooring and rubber tiles for public spaces and sports areas

• shock-absorbing playground surfaces and community gardens (Betty’s Garden references)

• basketball and padel courts

• athletics tracks and other sports surfaces

 

European Twinning Project (ETP) for the environment

 

Herning is also part of the European Twinning Project (ETP) for the environment, a structured model of environmental twinning between municipalities across countries. Coordinated by ESO RECYCLING, the ETP links municipalities in Italy, Denmark and Norway to develop joint initiatives in circular economy, sustainability, environmental education and urban innovation through concrete collaboration.

 

A reference story within esosport: Betty’s Garden and Associazione GOGREEN

 

Within the esosport framework, Betty’s Garden is a reference initiative dedicated to the memory of Elisabetta “Betty” Salvioni Meletiou, the wife of Nicolas Meletiou, who passed away prematurely in 2011. Following her loss, Nicolas established Associazione GOGREEN to raise funds and build “Betty’s Gardens” across Italy, creating safe places to play in communities where children did not have adequate playground areas. Since the date of her premature passing, 32 Betty’s Gardens have been built.

 

Documented environmental impact: Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

 

ESO RECYCLING’s circular model includes the documentation of environmental performance through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodologies. Where applicable, the company supports the quantification of CO₂-equivalent emissions along the life cycle of products and services, providing transparent metrics that help municipalities, schools and stakeholders understand the climate impact of circular choices.

 

Digital platform: www.esosport.dk (launching)

 

ESO RECYCLING Danmark ApS is launching the website www.esosport.dk as the digital home for the project in Denmark. The platform will provide clear explanations of the model and a user-friendly experience inspired by the Italian website, including a map of collection points and transparent reporting.

 

Through the platform, participating schools, gyms and recreational sites hosting an ESObox (esosport RUN, TENNIS and BIKE) will be able to:

 

• be listed as official collection points with updated information

• track the quantities collected over time

• see the estimated CO₂ savings linked to the collected volumes (where applicable)

• compete for visibility in a “Top 3 recyclers” ranking based on quantities collected and impact

 

Statements

 

Herning Municipality

 

“I Herning har vi strategisk fokus på at fremme genanvendelse og cirkulær økonomi særligt inden for tekstilområdet. Samarbejdet med esosport giver os mulighed for at genanvende en ny fraktion, der indtil nu har været affald. Samtidig betyder indsamlingen af sko på skolerne, at genanvendelsesdagsordenen bliver synlig og kan inspirere både børn og voksne.”

 

“In Herning, we have a strategic focus on promoting recycling and circular economy, especially in the textile sector. The collaboration with esosport gives us the opportunity to recycle a new fraction that has until now been waste. At the same time, the collection of shoes at schools means that the recycling agenda becomes visible and can inspire both children and adults”

—Dorte West - MAYOR OF HERNING MUNICIPALITY

 

ESO RECYCLING Danmark ApS

“For municipalities, circular economy needs to be practical and understandable.
esosport offers a simple system that fits into everyday structures—schools, collection points and local facilities—while creating tangible results for the community.
With Herning, we are starting this process in Denmark in a way that is concrete, transparent and scalable”

— Helga Loessl, Director, ESO RECYCLING Danmark ApS

 

ESO RECYCLING

“esosport turns a simple gesture—bringing end-of-life sports shoes into a collection point—into something concrete for the community. Herning is the first municipality in Denmark to start this journey with us, and our ambition is to make circular economy visible: from waste to new flooring, tiles, playgrounds, courts and athletic tracks. We are proud to bring a model that has already proven its value in Italy to the Nordic context, together with Herning Municipality.”

— Nicolas Meletiou, Managing Director - ESO RECYCLING Società Benefit arl

 

Pilot facts:

• Involved: 23 Schools and 7 sport facilities

• Collection points / ESObox installed: 30

• Materials collected: sports shoes – Tennis Balls – Bicycle tires and inner tubes

• Pilot timeframe: 2 years

 

 

About ESO RECYCLING & esosport

 

ESO RECYCLING (est. 2018) operates in the circular economy with a focus on mechanical recycling of complex end-of-life materials from sport, workwear and selected fashion sectors. Industrial recycling activities are carried out at the production facility “Amato Cannara” in Tolentino (Marche, Italy), dedicated to the transformation of end-of-life products into secondary raw materials. esosport is a project and brand developed within ESO RECYCLING, active since 2009, focused on giving new life to end-of-life sports materials through collection networks and circular transformation into new applications.

 

 

Media contacts

• Herning Municipality (Press Office):

Ole Hansen ­ ole.hansen@herning.dk ­ +45 40 22 32 28

• ESO RECYCLING Danmark ApS:

Helga Loessl – helga.loessl@esosrecycling.dk – +45 22 96 00 21

• ESO RECYCLING Società Benefit arl (Italy):

Nunzia Vallozzi – ufficiostampa@eso.it – +39 391 480 8787

 

picture: Dorte West, Mayor of Hernin Municipality - Nicolas Meletiou, Managing Director  ESO RECYCLING Società Benefit arl