Tucano has confirmed that in 2021, it will once again take on the role of the official supplier of eco-friendly shoppers for the Biennale di Venezia, the prestigious and internationally renowned cultural institution. In addition, it will also be the official supplier for the Venice Production Bridge on the occasion of the 78th edition of the globally relevant Venice International Film Festival, scheduled to start on 1 September 2021.

Designed ad hoc, the Tucano shoppers for the Biennale have been made with recycled plastic materials, following the same path of innovative research undertaken by the company in recent years which has resulted in the creation of new, eco-friendly product lines. Each one of these custom tote bags represents 15 half-liter plastic bottles that have been recycled and saved from the landfill.

Photo by Jacopo Salvi – Courtesy La Biennale di Venezia

Art, Architecture, Cinema, Dance, Theatre and Music are the six sectors of the Venice Biennale that enliven the city with exhibitions and educational activities that aim to inspire and promote new contemporary artistic trends.

The 17th International Architecture Exhibition, open to the public from 22 May to 21 November 2021, will include 112 participants from 46 countries. Iraq, Grenada and Uzbekistan will be present for the first time while men and women will be equally represented, promoting and embodying a climate of inclusion.

The 2021 International Architecture Exhibition is entitled “How will we live together?” An open question, today more relevant than ever, and a stimulus not only for architects but for an increasingly demanding public looking for new spaces for a better future, in which personal relationships regain the focus they deserve.

As it has for many previous years, Tucano‘s established participation in Venice continues to provide extraordinary opportunities to promote the theme of sustainability in a cultural environment already oriented towards change.

Designed for marine environments but also perfect for water trekking, Lontra is an eco-friendly floating backpack that acts as a signal buoy, a lifebuoy and watertight container. It’s completely unique, thanks to the double envelope – the external part of which protects the waterproof dry bag from tears or bumps, Lontra is convenient in boats, essential for water excursions, and protective at sea.

The outer bag, in safety orange – a color that is clearly visible in all emergency situations – is made of fabric produced from recycled plastic bottles which, thanks to a special process, can be shredded, melted and transformed into fiber.  The large model saves 33 plastic bottles from the landfill and the small model 21. Thanks to its eco-friendly outer shell, Lontra is a useful accessory for anyone who enjoys experiencing nature intensely but also with love and respect.

The two internal dry bags, one large and one small, are perfect for making sure your high-tech accessories, books, food, or clothing don’t get wet. The external backpack, on the other hand, allows you to attach or insert equipment and objects that can come in contact with water. There are a few strategically positioned openings on the orange outer bag that guarantee excellent drainage for any excess water introduced why enjoying different activities. The Lontra backpack – designed to float and serve as a signal buoy, thanks to the supplied flag – is the ideal product for anyone who wants to relax and experience the sea while minimizing risks.

Lontra is available in two different sizes, 70L and 30L.

This backpack’s original, innovative design and technical characteristics have resulted in interesting collaborations with nautical associations, marine reserves and other water sports related groups and businesses.

So, how did Lontra get started?

The Lontra project was the result of a meeting between Franco Luini, CEO of Tucano, and active environmentalist Angelo Falletta, president of the Aquatic Trekking Association (ATA). Angelo had created a similar backpack several years earlier, but left the project unfinished because it was too innovative for its time. About a year ago, Tucano reworked it into the unique, high-tech product being presented today.

Digital transformation has radically changed both our lives and how we behave, decisively influencing social, cultural and work models. Lupetti, an important Italian publisher of material on didactic and educational topics, has presented an important project, the first of its kind, to support the teaching and learning of these new subjects.

Cittadinanza Digitale (Digital Citizenship) is an 18-volume series aimed at both teachers and students, as explained by the publisher and the series’ curator Alessandro Cecchi Paone. “A first group of educators, psychologists, and socio-pedagogical experts, has created these essential guides for understanding and using these new digital tools… Pointing out the many new opportunities for individual and collective growth … A second working group, more in tune with the languages used by new generations… has developed more popular, updated texts, to put into historical context and understand how the digital universe has changed the very essence of mass communication, politics, business, human interaction, technology, and life sciences.”

Tucano sponsored the project because the company not only believes that the digital revolution currently underway is both a necessity and an opportunity, but it also genuinely values innovation and technology. The goal – fully shared with Lupetti and the series’ curator Cecchi Paone – is to offer a product designed for everyone, easily accessible and easy to understand.

Digital Citizenship involves the public in the everyday activities of a constantly evolving digital life. A challenge as necessary as it is innovative.

New sustainability values are fueling the multi-year collaboration between UNISG and TUCANO. A partnership with an all-Italian flavor, where the research carried out at the prestigious university to promote sustainable production and consumption projects are in perfect harmony with the new direction taken by Tucano, with the goal of manufacturing backpacks, bags and accessories in materials made from recycled plastic, for a flourishing future that values sustainability and respect for the environment.

Established in 2004 as part of the Slowfood association initiative, the University has now trained more than 3000 students from across the globe.

The partnership between Tucano and Pollenzo’s University of Gastronomic Sciences is confirmed again this year through the realization of some products customized by Tucano for the University and for its communication activities: the Tugò backpack, a top product from the catalogue, and a shopper, created ad hoc, in material made from recycled plastic, both customized with the UNISG logo.

This international University is characterized by an original training program, which combines classroom activities, experiential training and educational excursions: at Pollenzo we train gastronomes, a new kind of professional with a variety of interdisciplinary skills that touch on all aspects of the food world.

The value of sharing, which has always been the foundation of food culture, is also fundamental for the partnership between Tucano and the University of Pollenzo. These two organizations share a common goal of enriching the value of young talents, together with the desire to focus on the future and engage in a constant search for sustainable solutions.

For the second year in a row, Tucano and Accademia Teatro alla Scala are together again to share goals, values and a mutual desire for collaboration. Despite the recent challenges and difficulties, this period has generated value, making it possible to implement a new technical sponsorship project between these two Milan-based organizations in 2021.

This partnership brings together the Accademia Teatro alla Scala, a prestigious training center that guides talented performing arts professionals from around the world through meaningful learning experiences, and Tucano — a leading Italian brand in the production of bags, backpacks and accessories — a company always ready to support youth and those organizations that enhance their potential. In the center of Milan, the city where both projects were conceived.

This collaboration, in addition to confirming Tucano’s support of culture and the arts, expresses the link with the iconic beauty of an extraordinary, world-famous location: the Teatro alla Scala, together with its prestigious Academy, a top-notch training center and proving ground for talented individuals.

Renowned as an institution dedicated to the education of performing arts professionals — including in the technical and managerial fields — the Accademia Teatro alla Scala, which hosts more than 1,600 students annually, offers comprehensive professional training in four different Departments: music, dance, stagecraft, and management.

Tucano customized three products from the catalog with the Accademia’s logo, the ODDS backpack, in raw-edged neoprene, the Doppio backpack and the Tugò trolley, for the employees and some students of the Academy.

But Milan is only the starting point for a narrative that is ready to cross borders through a continuous exploration of excellence and an extraordinary cooperation between these two organizations.