Sirmax Opens Its Doors to Students of the Il Tagliamento Higher Education Institute

Sixty students from the third and fourth-year classes of the Il Tagliamento Higher Education Institute in Spilimbergo (Pordenone, Italy) visited the Sirmax plant in San Vito al Tagliamento (Pordenone) on 31 March. The initiative forms part of a project promoted by the Rotary Club Maniago-Spilimbergo as part of its annual programme and aims to raise awareness among young people about the importance of responsible plastic use – an indispensable material in daily life that requires a proper approach in terms of recycling and sustainability.

The educational programme was structured in several stages: in the preceding weeks, the students attended two classroom sessions organised by the Rotary Club Maniago-Spilimbergo, focusing on the need to recycle plastics and the opportunities offered by the circular economy. The visit to the Sirmax plant in San Vito represented the third stage of the project and enabled the students to gain a deeper understanding of the complexity of all phases of the plastic recycling process. In particular, Sirmax demonstrated how material is collected, sorted, cleaned, and transformed into new polymers through advanced recycling and upcycling processes. This operation is carried out at two of the thirteen Sirmax plants worldwide: in Salsomaggiore Terme (Parma, Italy) and in Anderson, Indiana (USA).

Through this type of production, under the Sirmax New Life brand, the company manufactures circular polymers derived from pre- and post-consumer plastic waste, subsequently used to produce high-performance compounds, including the Green Iso and Green Xelter lines, designed for high-value-added applications with low environmental impact. The students also explored the various stages of the supply chain: from the certified purchase of plastic waste to the selection of raw materials, through the internal production process and the enhancement of the material via advanced formulations. This system enables the production of secondary raw materials suitable for numerous industrial sectors, including the automotive industry.

“Every day, Sirmax is committed to generating value,” explained Federica Pavin, Sustainability Manager of the Sirmax Group, “by transforming plastic waste into high-performance materials, demonstrating that sustainability and innovation can advance together. Collaboration with the local community, and particularly with schools, is part of this value creation, as it strengthens an ecosystem in which business, education, and community work together for a more sustainable future. Understanding the value of plastic recycling allows today’s students—tomorrow’s citizens—to make more conscious and responsible choices.”

“The days of in-depth engagement within companies are extremely important for us,” stated the Service Committee of the Rotary Club Maniago-Spilimbergo. “Our objective is to help students understand how waste can be transformed into a valuable material, present, for example, in a car dashboard. Thanks to our collaboration with Sirmax, we have achieved this. However, the aim is not only to raise awareness of sustainability issues among young people, but also to show them how much research and technology is applied within companies in our territory. Sirmax represents an excellence in this regard, and we are pleased to have offered the students an engaging and educational morning.”

The initiative confirms the value of collaboration between schools, local communities, and companies in promoting a culture of sustainability among new generations. Sirmax is no stranger to such activities: as part of its sustainability projects, it frequently hosts students and university classes, opens its doors to seminars and events, and collaborates with companies and public institutions.