EUROPE

Trash City

Naples is enduring yet another garbage strike. But if the rats, cockroaches and stench are familiar, the outcome may be different this time around.

By Barbie Nadeau | Newsweek Web Exclusive
Jan 14, 2008

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  • Posted By: rewright @ 01/17/2008 3:53:07 AM

    I agree, the way business package their products is a problem. However, your example of reusing bags is weak. Italians have the incentive to reuse containers and bags. And, they do. For instance, every grocery bag cost five cents, so people do utilize cloth, reusable bags. Also, in Germany, the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe. But this problem in Naples has been occuring for over 20 years. This is deeper than plastic. This is the Mafia, who has had a strong hold over southern Italy for a century. Do you realize how much power they have, how much money and the fear they create? Finally, where is your city dump located? Proximity is yet another problem.

    • Posted By: Bornita @ 01/31/2008 8:01:04 AM

      I am not intricately familiar with the problems of Naples, but I find it hard to understand how trash would be created if most of the items themselves are removed. Italians obviously do not reuse enough to remove garbage from their doorstep.

      Of course this is a problem of product design and not singularly Italians' environmental conscience. However, I strongly feel out of the limited knowledge that I have, that the city officials should make decisions to phase out disposable packaging, and this worldwide and not just in Naples.

  • Posted By: nowhutimsane @ 01/23/2008 12:58:57 PM

    This situation reminds me of the movie "Idiocracy". The population complacent and not smart enough to find solution. They should drink Brawndo-it has electrolytes!

  • Posted By: GeorgeDiScala @ 01/21/2008 9:14:25 AM

    I agree with the overpackaging issue being the real cause. Do you know it is against the law to sell a pizza to take home wrapped in paper. You have to put it in a cardboard box and why? because someone says its better. Why do we have to have all this plastic packaging?

  • Posted By: jmortati@msn.com @ 01/20/2008 8:24:14 PM

    It is true that this is an ongoing problem for years. I lived in Italy from 1974-1991 and remember this going on then. Unfortunately, the pictures show the mess when garbage is not being picked up, but Naples is a beautiful city and shouldn't only be depicted when there is a "garbage strike". I hope that the problem can be rectified soon, since no one wants to be neck-high in garbage anywhere on this earth. Buona Fortuna, Napoli!

  • Posted By: GeorgeDiScala @ 01/20/2008 4:26:35 PM

    This is only a small part of Naples. Please do not think that the whole city is a dump siteOther parts of Naples are clean and beautiful. Posters please show pictures of Pompeii, Sorrento and Ischia instead of showing the same old lady with the same old cloths. And to the expert mafia is Sicialian not Neopolitan

  • Posted By: GeorgeDiScala @ 01/20/2008 4:24:18 PM

    This is only a small part of Naples. Please do not think that the whole city is a dump siteOther parts of Naples are clean and beautiful. Posters please show pictures of Pompeii, Sorrento and Ischia instead of showing the same old lady with the same old cloths. And to the expert mafia is Sicialian not Neopolitan

  • Posted By: Kisticat @ 01/20/2008 9:48:16 AM

    I lived in Naples from 1989 to 1992 and there was a garbage and Mafia problem then. So it's been going on longer than what was stated in the article. The locals are scared of the mafia and most have to pay "protection" money every month or face the results of not paying. I remember the rats, the strays and the piles of garbage during the strikes when I lived there and it's not pretty. The Neopolitians recycle as much as they can. The family I lived with burned most things in the fire place for heat. They had very little trash to throw away. I know that creates air pollution but they didn't have much of a choice as they didn't have a lot of money to heat their home. They had to pay a lot of different taxes and the pay-off money to the local mafia. So until those things change, the situation will never get better.

  • Posted By: Bornita @ 01/16/2008 12:23:46 PM

    Sometimes I wonder when people will wisen up. What do we see when we look at pictures of Naples? Lots and lots of packaging. Remove packaging from the product design and the problem of litter is gone. People can bring their own containers/ bags and refill and reuse them. Isn't it now you should put this to use? Why cripple a city because of a totally unnecessary supplementary product?

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