Italy : Rome capitulated in front of the garbage

After all: The schools of the Eternal city have taken on the Monday after the feast days of the lessons. This was made up to Sunday is still in question. Because even in the streets around most of the a total of 3000 school buildings in the city, a mass of waste lying around, had threatened the President of the school head, Mario Rusconi, on Friday in order that individual schools could remain closed: "The garbage is increasingly becoming a danger to the health of students," wrote Rusconi. Because, attracted by the smelly household waste in and around the schools had lost their way on the festival days even rats in the classroom.

The school buildings are mountains on the weekend in one of the mayor Raggi hastily prescribed special use of the garbage disposal of the Waste – to some extent – have been freed. However, this emergency measure will change little due to the fact that it has tips in Rome for years, simmering garbage crisis over the festive period dramatically. The reason for this is Two weeks before Christmas, a waste sorting plant is risen in the North of Rome in flames. At the same time was produced on the feast days of more garbage than usual. The result: In the residential areas and in the periphery of the waste container overflowing; around the stinking piles of garbage bags high to a meter.

And because the garbage collection system is overwhelmed with the day-to-day 5000 tonnes of household waste, should now take the Romans and the Romans themselves a broom and shovel at Hand. The "involvement of the residents in the to keep clean the streets" is provided for in a new set of regulations, the Raggi will present this Tuesday to the city Council. Where are the residents supposed to take the Dirt, does not reveal the rules, of course. The inhabitants of the Eternal city, the pay to the people of Naples the country is the second highest waste charges, should be encouraged in addition, small home-composting plants for the balcony.

Political Declaration of bankruptcy

The new regulations is a political Declaration of bankruptcy Raggis. But the Problem is a basic one: In the Three-million-metropolis of Rome, not a single waste incineration plant exists. Until a few years ago, almost all of the waste of Rome was carted easily to the landfill Malagrotta, at the edge of the city. The left predecessor of Raggi, Ignazio Marino, was closed for years according to EU rules the illegal landfill in the year 2013 merit – but he forgot to develop an alternative waste management solution. And also the 40-year-old Raggi of the protest movement Cinque for two and a half years has your choice of even an approach to a concept, such as the garbage crisis could be solved.

The only rational solution to the construction of some modern waste incineration plants. But Virginia Raggi wants to know nothing: For you and your Cinque of the Stoves because of the exhaust work of the devil. Raggis recipe is as follows: waste prevention, waste separation and recycling to 100 percent. The share of separately collected waste in Rome, makes hardly more than 50 per cent, hides the mayor. And so is exported since the closure of the Malagrotta landfill continues to be more or less of the entire Roman rubbish: for the most part, in the incineration plants in the North of Italy, but also abroad. The costs the city millions each year.

Rome is, with its waste problems, not alone In the whole of the South of Italy, a dramatic shortage of waste incineration plants. To cope with the few Stoves by far the total waste produced. The Rest of you to part of in landfills, where the Mafia will be involved, in particular, in the case of the disposal of difficult waste streams strong, part of it is exported also expensive. But also in the North of Italy, built in 2013, no new incineration plants to more – and Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio of the Cinquestelle has recently asked, in all Seriousness, that the existing systems are placed one after the other to a standstill.

Sharp criticism of the mayor Raggi thousands demonstrate against the fall of Rome

"We are facing a national emergency," stresses Filippo Brandolini, Executive Vice President of Utilitalia, the umbrella organisation of the public waste disposal companies in Italy. To address this state of emergency, should be invested according to the waste expert in Italy, at least four billion euros in new plants. Under the populist government of Cinque point, and the right-wing Lega this seems, however, completely excluded.