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- The intervention, carried out with air-purifying paint that reduces CO2, aims to restore public spaces, strengthen local commerce, and improve residents’ quality of life. In addition, the program will offset a carbon footprint equivalent to simultaneously charging 5.4 million smartphones.
Santiago, August 5, 2026.- The Municipality of Maipú, together with Photio and WOM, launched the “Maipú Paints Itself with Joy” (Maipú se pinta de Alegría) program, an initiative aimed at restoring 2,000 square meters across the facades of 60 businesses in the commune’s iconic civic center, in order to boost local trade and benefit the community.
Through this public-private partnership, the treated surfaces will be transformed into air purifiers thanks to a nanotechnology embedded in the paint that replicates photosynthesis using solar radiation. In this way, every square meter painted will have a purifying capacity equivalent to that of two trees.
The program will offset approximately 44,720 kg of CO2 emitted into the environment annually, a reduction equivalent to the energy consumed by charging more than 5.4 million smartphones. Likewise, the impact of this initiative will directly benefit the urban environment and the quality of life of the commune’s residents.
“We are promoting the Maipú City 2030 Plan, which is about thinking how we want Maipú to be, how we dream it to be for its residents, and in that sense, the Civic Center is a symbolic place for the development of our community; it is a fundamental place. The commercial and economic development of our center is a priority, and we want to set a precedent in how we expect to connect with shop owners and local trade,” said Nishme Zafe, Director of DIDECO at the Municipality of Maipú.
“At WOM, we are committed to bringing connectivity to millions of people throughout Chile, but at the same time, we have a responsibility to take action to mitigate our carbon footprint. Participating in this project reinforces our commitment to communities and the environment, contributing to the recovery of everyday spaces and improving the quality of life for residents,” stated Valeria Andía, Sustainability Manager at WOM.
“We are applying Photio, an additive that, upon contact with light, promotes the degradation of polluting gases. Therefore, we transform each facade and building directly into a mini-forest within Maipú. In this case, we will be generating an impact equivalent to 4,000 mature trees by painting 2,000 square meters of facades,” added Matías Moya, CEO of Photio.
Through these interventions, the program seeks not only to renew the face of the commune’s civic center, but also to demonstrate how technology can transform neighborhoods into more sustainable and welcoming spaces for the community.
