Ok, but what is a material bank?

A material bank is a place where second hand materials, that are still in good conditions are recovered. The materials are not only collected and catalogued, but also activated during Festivals and sustainable production workshops.

PRESS :

• 2025, TV33, "In UniBz la musica dal riuso"
• 2025, Alto Adige, "Unibz, Creatività e riuso"
• 2025, Corriere del Trentino,"MaMa Material Matters, A Bolzano riciclo creativo"
• 2025, Land Südtirol - Youtube, "Konsumstrategien - 2. Teil"
• 2025, Ufficio Stampa Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano, "Tabula Rasa: giovani protagonisti sul territorio"
• 2024, Alto Adige, "Riuso e Upcycling, 500 presenze all'epilogo"

COLLABORATIONS

• 2025, Guests of Radio Tandem podcast: you can listen to it from this link
• 2025, Via Dante Collective, scaffholding design for the "Edicola Takeover" project

CATALOGUE

Please check our web app to find out what we have.

We are glad to know that someone want to save some materials! The aim of this page is to give you as much information as possible to help you open your own material bank, inside your University or wherever you like. This web-page is divided in chapters: by following them, step-2-step, you will be able to set up successfully your material bank. You will find in each chapter a bunch of tips, be sure to read them: they were written by people who already run a material based initiative.

Having enough space is a crucial point for establishing a Material Bank. We suggest to have at least 20 to 25 square meter of space at least. Is important that the space is or can be equipped with scaffholding. The more easy to access the space is, the better. It can happen that some spaces inside the building are not used anymore: note them down and propose them when you meet with who is in charge. In fact, we suggest to check space availabilities with the workshops chief or your University to ensure that everything comply to the regulation.

A material bank is Is the physical spaces where people can go to get secondhand materials for their project.

There should be one person in charge of the safety of the building and workshops spaces, find out who is and establish a collaboration, they will play a key role in helping you when needed.

Once you understand that there is a possible space elegible for the Material Bank, you should start looking for people, engaged one. The first phase will require time and determination so people that believe in the project are fundamental. The number of people you should recruit vary on how big the material bank will be. To gather people around the initiative is very important to have a recognizible Identity, but we will in depth of this aspect in CHAPTER 6.

Before starting the hunt for materials, is important to establish the rules under which the material bank is going to operate. The room or the space you choose is still empty, and this is a nice moment to make a plan on where the scaffholding will be (if they are not already present), what path the visitors will perform and where goes what.

Now that your Material bank is equipped is time to fill it up. There is a bunch of way you can fill your Material Bank: collecting from students at the end of the semester, strolling around.

Strolling consist in going around your materila bank, looking for material. This usually happen in a predefined area of some kilometers.

You will notice from the very beginning that sometimes you have to unscrew stuff or move them here and there. That's why we highly suggest to build some tools to help you out. You can look in to the / MACHINES section of this website. Not only physical but also digital tools are important: decide with your team which communication channels would you like to use and which office tools suites the task you need to perform.

With communication tools used by the member of the Material Bank we intend both to communicate within the group (ex: group chat) and with the users of the material bank (ex: email or Instagram page)

We suggest a system that involve shared document like Google workspace, Microsoft Suite, Notion etc.

You have a place, people to help you, a storage and materials that are ready to become something else. But wait, nobody knows about the existence of the place! From this moment on, communication will be one of the core activity to guarantee that the material bank is used.

Despite a Material Bank is based on a horizontal concept where verybody contributes in equal way to the iniative, some roles need to be defined. In this way responsabilities are distributed and the organization is going to be more efficient. We would suggest to have at least those key figures: a Treasurer , a Community Manager , a Secretary , a Social Media Manager and a Maker Chief.

The treasurer is the person in charge of administrating money and resources within the association. He keeps track of donation or possible funds opportunity.

The community manager is the person in charge of recruitment of new members. He is in charge of organize the meetings and make sure that everyone is updated with eventual changes.

The secretary is a more "official one". The secretary handle bureocratic tasks and interface himself with institutional figures. The secretary usually have the big picture of the iniatitives and lead action to fix problem or take the initiative for eventual improvements.

The Media Manager take care of all the communication media, from poster and printed media to digital ones, like social networks.

A maker chief is in charge of the administration and the developemnt of the practical projects.

BITZ unibz fablab

The objective of the BITZ unibz fablab is to create and diffuse the make culture by ideating, hosting and organizing a plan of activities forging together research, education and unibz third mission. BITZ unibz fablab is the digital modelling workshop of the Free University of Bolzano. It is open to public, citizens can access to the fablab for a small annual fee, there are some costs for material and for machine-use.

Pedale Radicale

Repairing and learning about bicycle at Spazio77.

REX - Material und Dinge

Rex is a shop were everyone can buy or donate secondhand objects. The price range from a minimum to a maximum, based on how much the user can spend. Objects range from plates and mugs to bikes and furniture. So if you need something for your apartment, try here first before buying something new!

Repair Cafè

We are a group of volunteers associated with the OEW, we offer our "know-how" to repair objects, clothes, PCs etc. at "Space 77".

STOOPINGBZ

Everyday is a giveaway

Stooping is an Instagram page founded by two eco-social design student. Trough the STOOPINGBZ page, people can signal furniture or objects lying around the streets in Bolzano using the message function. The admins will post then a picture of the objects and where they are on the map. If you are interested, you can go in the designated location and pick them up (if they are still there).