Social Innovation Lab “Echo Labs by DACHSER & FERCAM”

DACHSER & FERCAM Italia has acquired 50 percent of the shares in Fercam Echo Labs; the non-profit organization will henceforth operate under the name “Echo Labs by DACHSER & FERCAM”. Designed as a “social innovation lab”, the non-profit organization has been dedicated to the circular economy and the upcycling of packaging waste since the end of 2021.

(Bozen) Using discarded single-use wooden pallets or transport boxes, Echo Labs by DACHSER & FERCAM builds wooden furniture for indoor and outdoor use, beehives, insect hotels, plant pots, or decorative items – all in collaboration with students, social institutions, or professional integration facilities for asylum seekers. The furniture with a logistical past can now be found in many companies and public institutions in Italy.

“Echo Labs by DACHSER & FERCAM is a prime example of how ecological and social sustainability can be combined while staying close to the core logistics business,” explains Alexander Tonn, COO Road Logistics at DACHSER. “That’s why we want to support this good idea with DACHSER & FERCAM Italia and give it more room for growth.”

“We are pleased that the good idea of Echo Labs will continue in the form of a joint non-profit commitment,” explains Bettina Baumgartner, Innovation Manager at FERCAM. “Reducing and recycling packaging waste makes sense and contributes to the sustainability goals of the United Nations.”

A break room made from 1,200 pallets

Why does logistics generate so much packaging waste? Is there no better use for discarded single-use wooden pallets or transport boxes than waste? These questions led to the founding of the non-profit organization at the end of 2021. Specifically, the FERCAM branch in Rome, led by Regional Manager Dino Menichetti, processed around 1,200 old pallets at that time to build a break and lounge area for drivers. This created a prime example of upcycling in logistics, meaning the lifecycle of a discarded item is significantly extended in the spirit of the circular economy.

Combining ecological and social sustainability

“By now, the innovative and practical non-profit organization that combines ecological and social sustainability has made a name for itself in Italy,” says Dino Menichetti, who currently leads Echo Labs by DACHSER and FERCAM. “The current work and further development of this good idea is now secured by the entry of DACHSER & FERCAM Italia.”

Photo: © DACHSER & FERCAM Italia