How waste can be reduced

Rome , like other Italian cities, is filthy, admittedly. The waste collection service works terribly, true. There are still few, far too few, Roman citizens who understand the importance of separate waste collection and demonstrate the necessary civic sense to do it every day: the numbers speak for themselves . Rome is just below the 45 percent threshold, far from the vast majority of medium-sized and large Italian cities where the figure is above 60-80 percent. But there's another factor, without which we'll never emerge from the garbage nightmare that engulfs us, a complete and insane wastefulness, in Rome and elsewhere: we produce too much garbage . Consider that in the capital, we produce 587 kilos per capita per year . This is enormous and a way to overwhelm any waste disposal system.

HOW TO REDUCE WASTE

This number is sobering if we compare it to other cities, without resorting to the usual record figures for Northern European capitals. Let's stay in Italy, and we at Non sprecare simply can't understand why, while Rome produces 587 kilos of garbage per capita, Milan produces 494,7 (about 100 less!) and Naples 498 , which is certainly not the world capital of urban cleanliness.

( Photo credit: MZeta/Shutterstock.com)

READ ALSO: Condominiums, streets, cities: everywhere we can live with cleaner lives and greater well-being. It doesn't take much. But it also depends on our small gestures. Like the ones described in this book.

WASTE PRODUCTION IN ITALY

Some say: the filth in Rome is the tourists' fault. Certainly, tourism also affects garbage production, but this is absolutely fake news . Want proof? The Italian city with the most waste is Catania (713 kilos per inhabitant, per year), which certainly isn't inundated 12 months a year by hordes of tourists. So, here the problem, as usual in the field of sustainability, stems from our lifestyles and our behaviors . And in this case from a premise-objective: each of us, as individuals, and as communities, families, condominiums, companies, and offices, can and must produce less waste.

( Photo credit: Sergej Onyshko/Shutterstock.com )

FOR MORE INFORMATION: From mattresses to refrigerators, from sofas to kitchen appliances, everything gets thrown out on the street. A good idea: mark these items to identify the offender who disposed of them (photo)

HOW TO AVOID PRODUCING WASTE

It's not a complicated endeavor, and all you need is a clear idea, like these 10 tips we're giving you, from grocery shopping to cooking, from water to grocery bags, and amplifying the word of mouth with your own experience. Just like we did when we realized the importance of recycling.

It's easy to imagine, with a little extra effort initially (then with practice, everything becomes normal), that every Italian could try to reduce their waste production by 100 kilograms per year . Come on, let's get to work, and you'll see that it will be easier than you think.

( Photo credit: Kraft74/Shutterstock.com )

LEARN MORE: Waste recycling, a woman buying trash at a Rome market. The seller gets paid for used oil and plastic bottles. Or they donate to charity (photo).

RULES TO REDUCE WASTE PRODUCTION

Here's how to reduce waste :

• Start with the shopping. How to reduce waste first of all grocery Smart, a good habit that, unfortunately, has been lost in many families. Compulsive shopping (an absolute waste), an overflowing shopping cart even when it's not necessary, and an abundance of bags and paper, only create the conditions for excessive waste production. Start, for example, with a simple calculation: how much waste can you avoid by shopping with your old "grandma's bag"? A lot, a lot.
• Less paper, fewer sheets. You know the quantity of sheets, paper and various envelopes that are usually used to wrap maybe just a few hundred grams of mortadella or a portion of cheeseJust say no. That is, politely approach the salesperson, whether in a supermarket or a retail store, and say, "Thank you, but there's no need for so much paper and so many sheets."
• A few bags from the greengrocer. Saving starts with our habits and one of the most hateful ones is to use lots of bags of plastic bags when you can easily do without them. A good way to reduce this waste is to use cloth bags, which are not only reusable as many times as you want, but also more durable.
• Less packaging and less packaging. First, let's be careful about plastic containers: bottles, plates, glasses, and cutlery end up in the trash too easily. Second, let's start buying loose products again, in many cases. tap shops It's possible, and it saves on unnecessary packaging. Finally, "reuse" must become our mantra. At work, for example, we bring our own water bottle from home, refilling it each time, instead of buying it every day.
• Discover the tap shops. After all, you can do it just out of curiosity: try a grocery At a grocery store. If you choose the right one, and we'll help you with the recommendations we provide, you'll achieve three things: savings on your groceries, the certainty of purchasing quality products, and reduced waste. Three less instances of waste, in one fell swoop: that's no small thing.
• Mayor's water. Our cities can boast an extraordinary tap waterWhy not take advantage of it? Not buying bottled water means significant savings in terms of packaging and more. Another way to avoid wasting so much plastic is to use water filtration systems, which are becoming increasingly popular on the market.
• Less disposable and more recyclable items. There was a time when we seemed trapped in disposable items: from kitchen utensils to toothbrushes, razors, and hygiene items. Now we're finally starting to understand that disposable items, when not essential, risk becoming a real waste. By multiplying the objects that we then promptly throw away, trash, you risk increasing your shopping bill. And you certainly contribute to the mountain of waste to be disposed of. Obviously, the three Rs (recycle, reuse, and repurpose), for any object, remain crucial for reducing waste.
• The surprising leftovers kitchen. Every day, millions of tons of food are wasted. Here at Don't Waste, you'll find countless creative and delicious ways to reuse foods that are at risk of spoiling. You really have no excuses!
• Long live compost. A large amount of organic waste can be reused and transformed into compost, an excellent fertilizer for lawns and vegetable gardens that ensures optimal growth of flowers, plants, fruits, and vegetables. Furthermore, this practice significantly reduces household waste, and in some Italian municipalities, you can even benefit from a reduction in waste disposal taxes.
• Talk about it at home and outside. Waste reduction requires a key lever: word of mouth. The slogan Let's put waste on a diet, must become a sort of musical refrain in our homes. In fact, let's even try turning it into a short song. And let's talk about this discovery and this necessity, waste reduction, as something to be shared throughout the household. You'll see that with word of mouth, inside and outside the home, waste will truly decrease. And it will be a benefit for everyone.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO REDUCE I WASTE?

Cover image photo credit: Stefano Chiacchiarini/Shutterstock.com

THE STORIES OF THOSE FIGHTING TO SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT:

• Retired Ulisse on the beach in Sardinia: he blocks uncivilized people and collects waste (photos and video)
• Planting and adopting trees is the latest trend among green-loving citizens. They're also urban gardeners (photos).
• Cigarettes on the beach, this is how Paola collects thousands of butts every day. Let's do the same!