The dirtier cities and streets are, the more citizens pay for waste.

WASTE TAX IN ITALY –

It's a typical contradiction in Italy's wasteful past. Thanks to Confartigianato, we've discovered the axiom that governs waste taxation: the dirtier the cities, the higher the taxes citizens have to pay.

ALSO READ: In Lucca, waste is chip-enabled; those who waste less pay lower taxes.

WASTE TAXES ARE TOO HIGH IN ITALIAN CITIES –

Rome isn't dirty, but extremely dirty, yet every citizen of Lazio has to pay 42 euros and 48 cents for street sweeping and washing . This figure is almost double the national average (22 euros per capita), but four times the amount paid by residents of Veneto, where the streets are generally clean: 11 euros and 78 cents.

Romans are in good company and share this absurdity with other inhabitants of extremely dirty cities: in Sicily , in fact, they pay 28 euros and 50 cents, in Campania 24 euros and 15 cents . While in Piedmont, another region where streets and sidewalks are usually clean and washed, the per capita expenditure doesn't even reach 15 euros.

WASTE COLLECTION AND DISPOSAL SERVICE COSTS –

The same goes for the overall cost of waste disposal and collection . Lazio continues to top the list (€220.32), 27 percent above the national average of €167, with regions like Lombardy and Veneto paying €137 per person. The only thing citizens can do in the face of this disaster, other than be outraged, is fire the public officials responsible for the taxes paid in reverse.

TO KNOW MORE: In Genoa, composting is available for a discount on waste tax.