Cigarette butts, tires, and papers on the ground: fines are now legal.

GREEN ECONOMY STABILITY LAW –

It is one of the most significant innovations, although not of great economic impact, contained in the environmental annex recently approved by Parliament: anyone who throws cigarette butts , chewing gum, tissues, and shop receipts on the ground, in public waters (for example, rivers), or down drains will be fined. By national law.

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LAW FOR LITTER BUTTS AND CHEWING GUM ON THE GROUND –

The fines are very broad, ranging from €30 to €300 (for cigarette butts), enabling municipal administrations to have cleaner cities and fewer waste disposal problems. There is, however, one caveat we hope municipalities will respect: the creation of spaces and dedicated containers for this type of waste. Indeed, the only mitigating factor citizens have in throwing cigarette butts on the ground is the fact that ashtrays are becoming increasingly rare. Yet, if well-made and small, they could even be considered street furniture.

FINES FOR LITTERED CIGARETTE BUTTERS ON THE GROUND –

This law was needed. Generally speaking, we're against constantly punishing citizens for their rudeness, but it was needed because the cigarette butt problem, like that of disposable diapers , is becoming truly embarrassing . In Rome, for example, approximately 1 billion cigarette butts are discarded on the streets, sidewalks, the Tiber, and even in public parks. We invite our readers to ask themselves just one question: Would you ever throw a cigarette butt on the ground in your home? The answer leads to simple and effective behavior in the city. Without running the risk of being fined.

TO KNOW MORE: A Sicilian pensioner's initiative to clean cigarette butts from the beach