ORCHidea is the international trade fair dedicated to the world of orchids and rare plants, organised and hosted annually by Mati 1909 at its own centre in Pistoia.

This year the event, now in its tenth edition, was held on 11 and 12 October 2025. It attracts a wide and diverse audience, including collectors, specialised nurserymen, industry professionals and a large number of gardening and botany enthusiasts. In addition to the exhibition area, the programme includes technical seminars, courses and workshops.

In this context, Giardineria Italiana, one of the main brands of the Mati 1909 group and a partner in the LIFE RESTART project, carried out awareness-raising and dissemination activities on the project’s circular-economy and sustainability goals aimed at a specialised audience, namely nursery professionals, experienced hobbyists and end consumers who are keen on innovations in the sector. This is directly linked to the role that Giardineria Italiana plays in LIFE RESTART: experimenting with and validating the use of new bioplastic pots (made using spent beer grains) for the ornamental plant sector.

The project aroused the interest of the public, who submitted many requests for information regarding the project’s objectives, the nature of the biopolymers and the involvement of Giardineria Italiana.

Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.