Even large retailers moving to reduce

by Alessio Sciurpa

Involved by Region Valle d'Aosta (Italy) and inserted into the initiatives for the European Week for waste reduction, even large retailers moving to reduce. Among the events triggered in the region this seems remarkable, given the particular amplitude of the target that involves.

In the various outlets will be created real points of collection of plastic bags by distributing gadgets in their place. With the simple technique of contact, customers will have the opportunity to receive helpful information about the plastic life cycle. Too often given weight only to the object (eg plastic bags), without understanding its real environmental impact. This kind of initiative not only helps reduce the amount of waste products but also to create awareness, broadening the perspective of the users not only to the object itself, but to all of its life cycle, from production to disposal. We spoke about it with the Deputy of Land and Environment of the Region Valle d'Aosta, Manuela Zublena.

The initiative was developed with the large retailers is of great impact, given the scale of users. Will follow, perhaps by opening a stable working table?
«This initiative is one of many proposals that will see our region in the foreground for the European Week for waste Reduction. Shall we be involved with eight different events, which together will, in a single week, more than 180 times of public interest, all centered on the theme of waste reduction. The presence of retail outlets within the region of specific communication on the need to minimize waste and specifically the packaging and plastic bags made of polyethylene, means to give a strong message in front of the awareness that by January 2011, as with the directives, we must learn to reuse carrier bags and packing are not always and necessarily, a guarantee of freshness and product integrity. We intend with the help of ASCOM Valle d'Aosta offer large retailers in the region a stable work table which we will be committed, in the course of next year, that will have as its central theme to create specific actions for reducing packaging and shopping bags made of polyethylene».

Activated by a number of initiatives within the European Week for waste reduction shows that your administration is investing a lot in terms of prevention. Is it correct?
«We hope that the many events on the region can become both moments of reflection, and moments of disclosure about the need for the living environment do not own it and make it mean what you want, but manage them well under the principle of responsibility. The steady growth in consumption has two direct consequences: the depletion of available resources and increasing waste. Living in a region that for geographical and morphological characteristics is one of environmental excellence in our country, also means to have responsibilities that need to see specific action on environmental sustainability, one of the priorities of regional policy».