THE fire extinguishers and fire hoses are elements that must be renewed every twenty years and, due to their particular characteristics, they must be removed and recycled by companies qualified in specialized waste management, but what if there was an alternative?
This is the objective of Navarrese company Prodeinwhich was proposed take advantage of these materials to give them a second life.
Sonia Moneo, director of the company Prodeinspecialized in fire fighting systemsthus realized one of his dreams, that of combining the activity of his company, founded more than 40 years ago by his father Antonio, and that artistic concerns that he always had.
SO, Moneo, winner of the 2024 Business Woman Prize of the Association of Women Entrepreneurs and Directors of Navarre (AMEDNA/NEEZE)launched the “Prodein UP” project.
This initiative Turns fire extinguishers and hoses that have outlived their useful life into works of art and everyday objects such as lamps or chairs, also generating a new sector of activity.
In this way, Prodein wants to achieve the recovery of more than 20 tonnes of waste of fire extinguishers and hoses per year through a project whose launch included the collaboration of students from the School of Art and Design of Pamplonawho showed in an exhibition the objects that can be obtained with these materials and with many doses of imagination.
Sculptures, lamps and chairs
In the exposure First of all, it was possible to see a series of sculptures made with fire extinguishers by the Pamplona artist Cristina Navarlaz and other objects designed by Prodein, such as lamps made with the steel tube of the fire extinguisher in a wooden structure.
Also chairs with wooden frames, a support derived from a fire extinguisher and a back cushion made from a fire hose braided
This furniture It is also made with materials from local suppliers and cabinetmakers, carpenters and metallurgists from the region participate in its production, in order to also promote the local economy.
Students from the School contributed to the exhibition vision of the possibilities contained in a discarded fire extinguisher and they fashioned sculptures of a whale, a San Fermín, divers or a vase with a flower, among others.
Let your creativity run wild
From ProteinMoneo explained to EFE: “We proposed to the School’s Metal Workshop to make prototypes and give free rein to their creativity. And very fantastic prototypes and products have emerged with which we are extending the duration life of waste”.
“We can reuse the waste we were going to eliminate and give them a second life, or even in some cases a third”, emphasized Moneo, who pointed out that the steel of the fire extinguishers is easily reusable for other uses, as are the materials of the pipes, which are very resistant and flame retardant .
Are pipeshe stressed, “they are made for fire, they are made of rubber and a textile covering and last countless years. We actually retire them after twenty years and they’re still pretty much the same, so we can reuse them for different products. »
Circular economy
In Proteinits director said: “We have been working on sustainability for over ten years and that led to this project, which was initially very small, but is now much more ambitious because we’ve reached a point where we’ve seen many releases. »
Moneo has not hidden its artistic concerns and his sensitivity to sustainability and the circular economywhich led him to mix his professional side with his creative vein. “Let’s say I’ve made my dreams come true a little bit, because I’m making this business something that’s really my own and I’m giving it my touch.”
“Yes, it’s true that I always loved this world and in fact, every time I see an (arts) school, I want to sign up for all the workshops that exist, because everything is wonderful,” he admitted.
