CleaNap: guerrilla cleaning in Naples

by Annalisa Tancredi

Waging a guerrilla, armed with brooms and shovels, against administrative malpractice and negligence for historical and cultural places of Naples. In Campania, a dozen of young students and precarious under 32, called "The angels of rubbish", decided to clean Neapolitan squares and places of worship, organizing some guerrilla cleaning flash mobs. They are CleaNap - Piazza Pulita, a voluntary movement born on Facebook and become, in a few months, one of the most covered by national and international press. In few days the fans number grew up, active citizenship joined the idea of shaking the city swamped by lawlessness, administrative inefficiency and waste.

On June, 4, the first ecology-swoop started from Piazza Bellini, then the ecology-from-below movement reached Porta Capuana, Santa Maria la Nova, Piazza Matteotti. Now CleaNap is a voluntary association for social solidarity and environmental sustainability and in next year intends to clean up Vesuvius National Park, to contrast its decay. Emiliana Mellone, one of the organizers, tells us something more about the association.

How was the movement born?
CleaNap was born as a viral proposal shared among Neapolitans citizenship. I created an event on Facebook "Let's clean Piazza Bellini, each of us equipped with broom, gloves, maps: occupy squares!"; I invited my virtual friends, social network sharing mechanisms did the rest. We were 100, 200, then also 400! Later, people met in squares joined the team of friends and after this summer we set up a voluntary association.

What about "The Sound of 3R", your proposal for EWWR?
It was a flash mob seeking to involve passers-by. We emphasized the importance of recycling, reuse and reduction through games and questions and a musical and improvisation acting performance. We contacted the Bateria Pegaonda who played with instruments made from recycled objects.

What about the future? Have you planned other guerrillas?
In December we will be involved in the Asia's campaign "Four days of differentiation" about re-using paper and cardboard and composting. About long term plans, CleaNap is the Italian partner of Let’s do it! for the 2012 World Cleanup, a campaign made by volunteers coming from more than 100 countries, for cleaning up countries from illegal junk. We have a very ambitious project, cleaning up the Vesuvius National Park!, that needs to be endorsed by a massive support from all citizens, private and institutions. We need many people from all over Italy who want to join us for cleaning a national symbol that in last time has been victim of illegal spills. If many people will take part in the initiative, then we can achieve important goals: not only the recovery of abandoned junk in nature, but also a real structural intervention, which needs also the help of the institutions.

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Spazio Etico presents his project: Voce del verbo “RI-CELLULARE”

by Valeria Rocca

Have you ever heard about the “Witness of the snail”? The Austrian thinker Ivan Illich said «The snail teaches us the way to think of a happy and friendly “de-growth society”. Building the delicate architecture of its shell with larger and larger coils, the snail has to stop and begin to create diminishing convolutions to avoid that a too large one, rather than contributing to its wellbeing, become a serious overweight». The metaphor is easy to understand: the man must pursue his welfare making choices in respect of the environment and the world, exactly like the snail, without excessing.

Spazio Etico, an association working in many different fields in Lazio, supports this philosophy. According to Spazio Etico, if our everyday decisions can positively affect the world around us, why not to commit ourselves to avoid waste? Among their many activities, the project “Voce del verbo Ri-Cellulare” deserves special attention.

Recent studies say the cell is the most popular gadget in the world and the most frequently replaced. Do the people recycle their old mobile phones? Only the 3% of the word population. Recycling mobile phones is instead very important because it enables to reduce greenhouse gas emissions resulting from landfill disposal of mobile phones and their batteries, to correctly dispose toxic materials contained in the cellphones (lead, cadmium, lithium), to prevent health problems, and to recover valuable metals. For more information we asked Mauro Speranza (project manager) some questions.

When was the idea of the project “Ri-cellulare” born and what are the main reasons that prompted you to promote it?
«The project "Voce del verbo Ri-cellulare”, was ideated in late 2009 as part of SPAZIO ETICO. On one hand we had the willingness to do something for helping the world we live in while on the other hand we realized that the increasing quantity of mobile phones does not correspond to an easy disposal system. In fact, very few people go to depots to dispose phones. So? Highly polluting items crowd the landfills or, at best, lie in drawers full of unused equipment».

Through which means was the project promoted?
«We planned a specific communication campaign using different channels, both classic and modern. First, we use the internet: the association’s website hosts a dedicated section and in the same time we use social networks. Furthermore, we don’t forget traditional channels such as social and cultural events. Information meetings and workshops were carried out in order to spread the activities and raise public awareness about the environmental impact of mobile phones, especially if they are not disposed by law. Collaborating with other associations which share the same values is very important for spreading knowledge of our activities. In addition to the associations, we are trying to involve the public bodies of the Lazio Region and of the Province of Rome (which sponsored the project) and the Municipality of Rome. An information campaign is also about to start in many schools».

Which objectives do you want to achieve with this project?
«We want to collect a growing number of used mobile phones in order to spread an environment-friendly culture, intended as a set of daily activities anyone can achieve in his daily routine. Furthermore, the association is trying to spread the culture of the “de-growth” and of the waste fighting, and this project pursues this aim».

Are you currently satisfied of the achieved results?
«The satisfaction is twofold: on one hand first results are encouraging in terms of number of collected phones (more than 2000), but above all we are realizing how much people can do if properly informed about the consequences of their actions».

Are you planning to export your project to other Italian regions?
«Exporting the project closely follows the interest it’s having across Italy. It's common to be contacted by other associations and partnerships are starting with some realities, especially in the Calabria region. Indeed, we are willing to support anyone who proves helpful in this regard».

We accept and spread with pleasure the invitation of Spazio Etico. All necessary information are available on the website.

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School of reduction

by Silvia Musso

Again this year the schools have not been denied. For the third year, in fact, the percentage of participation of schools at EWWR has been very high.

As already shown by the action of the Pozzuoli School (Naples province), which in 2009 had won the European Award for schools category, the strengths that make effective the initiatives proposed by schools are the involvement of the community and the will to extend their duration at the whole school year. From all over Italy the enthusiasm and interest of students, teachers and headmasters on environmental issues of waste prevention widespread beyond the narrow boundaries of school walls to involve different actors: households, neighborhoods, people, shops.

Thanks to EWWR environmental education activities from few hours cut throughout the school year hve become true programming to be integrated to traditional programs.

This is what the three schools, among many others, demonstrated.

The “Istituto Comprensivo of Fiano” (Turin province, north Italy) with “Lo Zero Rifiuto!!! …. Buone pratiche sul territorio” (Zero waste!...Good pratctises on territory) conducted a brainstorming session on ways to reduce waste at school and organized a visit to a site that deals with the problems of waste and its reduction (composting site, company repair shop, second hand ...). It also began to network different local actors - municipalities, mountain communities, industries - for a project to be realized in the future and aimed at waste reduction, with the realization of a conference or a projection of films followed by discussion and an exhibition on the activities and achievements of students adressed to parents and inhabitants.

The “Istituto Comprensivo Galileo Chini – Scarperia” (Florence province, centre Italy) November 21st with "Rifiutili" (Useful waste) has sparked a number of initiatives that will continue throughout the school year. Students and teachers will dedicate to the creation of a laboratory of recycled paper, visit the store "Mercatopoli" that sells second hand items, to read passages about the restoration, reuse and recycle, reuse for the snack food not consumed during the lunch, etc. The parents of the students will also be involved in workshops as well as work of restoration of old objects in the school, to be sold during the year in the flea markets of the city centre, in the exchange of used textbooks, maintenance and renovation of school buildings and restoration and sale of used games.

The “Primo Circolo Solofra” (Avellino province, South Italy) instead made a real ecological week where the most important element was the involvment not only of students, engaged in "Operation Empty Garbage Bin", but also of their families. Parents had to agree to accompany their children to school on foot throughout the Week and to organize at home information meetings with relatives and friends to spread some good waste prevention practises to play in the week.

The schools have become a source of prevention messages addressed to the whole community through not extemporaneous actions, but integrated in educational activities, in continuity with previous years and with the cooperation of families and other local actors. The academic world has shown that the EWWR in these three years has succeeded in its main communication objective: to make the waste reduction a common practice, a lifestyle and not only a sporadically activity as teacher Anna Maria Dreoni of Scarperia claim: «The school has always had an eye for environmental education, adhering to initiatives and projects that, broadly speaking, had the intent to educate pupils to feel good in their environment. We think that in the first cycle is the fundamental task of the school teachers to educate children to the economical use of objects and their affairs and hence resources. EWWR offers us the opportunity to tell our children that we are in a broader horizon, which at the same time in which they reflect and carry of the laboratories, there are millions of children and young people across Europe who think the same problems and perform activities similar to theirs».

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Thanks to COVAR14, food waste play a leading role EWWR 2011

by Andrea Stecich

What about bread and pasta left-overs? These days it’s a quite weird question.

Many of us, for various motivations, prefer getting rid of them in the rubbish or, more sensitively, recycling them through the compost heap collection system. Anyway, thrown waste are still edible and rich of nutritious: in the EU, 89 millions of tons of food per year are thrown away, and 42% of them come from our kitchens, rather than from supermarkets. Starting from these facts, on the occasion of the European Week for Waste Reduction which will take place from November 19 to 27, COVAR14 (South Turin Province Consortium for Waste Collection) decided to spread an innovative and strong message in order to stimulate public’s reflection, even though the practices are actually not so revolutionary, because our grandparents already used to reuse food waste.

Following the tradition then, COVAR14, in collaboration with Istituto Alberghiero Bobbio di Carignano, Eataly, Slowfood, Banco Alimentare and the restaurateurs, produced a “left-overs recipe book”. This was an opportunity for restaurateurs to show their cooking skills. Istituto Bobbio has been involved in organizing the scheduled events (three cooking classes and a left-overs dinner open to citizenship) thank to its teachers professionalism; Eataly Slowfood and Banco Alimentare will be in charge of food supply and transportation, and they will form the technical panel during the final dinner. The dishes, cooked by Istituto Bobbio’s personnel, will be voted according to different categories (maximum reuse dish, zero consumption dish, the best dish etc.), For giving visibility to the initiative, posters and press advertisements (Corriere di Moncalieri, il Carmagnolese, Luna Nuova, il Mercoledì) have been produced, and municipalities have also been involved. The recipe book will be the starting basis for the EWWR events, and it will be handed out by the municipalities or during the events. Otherwise you can download the pdf version from the COVAR14 website.

This way we can bring home a fragment of the ancient “reusing art”, for spreading across friends and relatives, saving money and preserving the environment.

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Less waste and less plastic for all with the new Porta la Sporta initiatives for EWWR 2011

by Francesca Morra

We produce too much waste and of all types, but one of the most notable is plastic. It constitutes about 15% of the waste produced by an average Italian family although there are nearly 100 different types of plastics that can be differentiated in the same way. But above all we can reduce it down to 15 kg of plastic produced in less by adopting a number of simple tricks.

This is the main objective of the new initiative Meno Plastica: traguardo 15 kg in 7 mosse, which, together with two other initiatives, Mettila in rete and Sfida all'ultima Sporta, has been launched by Porta la Sporta at the door of the European Week for Waste Reduction - EWWR 2011 to be held in Europe 19 to 27 November 2011.

These three initiatives have been proposed to Italian local authorities through a capillary mailing. In addition, other actions can be taken by citizens themselves without external help such as drinking tap water or using the shopping bags instead of disposable bags every time of purchase. Other actions will require the intervention of production, retailers, neighborhood shops as well as appropriate legislation in order to make ​​available to citizens more opportunities to purchase in an environmentally friendly way.

Silvia Ricci, from Porta la Sporta, explains the difficulty of making clear to manufacturers, and particularly to distributors, the need to change and renew the product range of eco-friendly products such as detergents, "on tap" or bulk food, but also states that great improvements can be achievied in this area: “We shouldn’t forget that the mass distribution can produce big changes in the world of production since it can influence the upstream production, by putting some stakes, and at the same time can raise awareness and support the consumer to deal with change”.

The campaign tries to involve all the actors that can contribute to solve the serious problem of excessive waste production, in particular of plastics. The campaign extends particularly through an active website www.portalasporta.it, where they are explained in detail all the initiatives launched in order to participate to the EWWR 2011 or simply to help reducing waste, an issue now as important as urgent.

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IED for Gaza: future architects build a sustainable school

by Annalisa Tancredi

“Think green, build sustainable”: a didactic structure with reduced environmental impact has been built in the middle of Parco Michelotti in Turin by students of IED- European Design Institute’s Master Course in Sustainable Architecture, during the workshop “A sustainable school”.

The full-scale model of sustainability will be presented to the press on Friday, October, 7 at 13:00, inside Parco Michelotti. During the press conference “Think green, build sustainably” there will be three different speakers: the Turin Environment alderman Enzo Lavolta, the Turin IED director César Mendoza and the Arcò Group – Architecture&Cooperation, which managed the design workshop with his consolidate experience in ecological design for developing countries.

The aim of the workshop in fact was to build up an eco-friendly classroom prototype which will be send to the Gaza Strip area. IED Master Course is directed byMario Cucinella – MCA Firm, whose students had to face a double challenge: designing in a sustainable way and, in the same time, dealing with a territory in which, due to tricky circumstances, it’s hard to estimate available resources.

Therefore, it was necessary to teach students specific construction techniques, considering variables such as poverty, materials’ availability and the workforce on site. Recycling materials is one of the taken techniques: it’s possible, for example, to re-use discarded tires and sandbags to build perimeter walls (already tested by Arcò Group during the "Tyres school" project), or to use wooden and sand beams for covering the building. Moreover, the techniques of assembling low-tech materials, which are versatile and fast with excellent bio-climatic performance, are very important.

For some days, the young future architects modelled with their own hands a smart and functional design project, proving that manual ability has not been replaced by the progress yet. We have to take a new point of view about object functionality, such as converting a tire in a brick.

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Ravenna 2011: waste, water, energy and art

by Eleonora Anello

The “Ravenna 2011” cultural event is full off fringe initiatives. For the fourth year, visitors can admire the “Emergenze Creative” work of art. Many artists will take part in the initiative: Dacia Manto on waste, Elena Arzuffi on water and Massimiliano Pelletti on sustainable energy.

The exhibition, organized in collaboration with Labelab Laboratory, will be an occasion for the artists to share their environmental sensibility with a wide public, promoting a public art path across Ravenna’s historic routes, the same routes which will host the well-known environment festival.

In San Francesco square, among the arcade columns, the “Wood seer” big flattering sculpture will stand out, a piece by Dacia Manto focused on waste issue and in particular on waste materials reusing. The art installation is entirely made of old drawings made by the artist herself or by children involved in the project. The cloud-vegetation-like piece will take shape just in front of the public, who can take part in it bringing the artist their environment-themed pictures on September, 28 and 29, at 5 p.m.

In Piazza del Popolo Elena Arzuffi will work on water’s value,, inviting the public to take part in a kind of “gioco della campana (bell’s game)” with a “water square” instead of the classic “sky square”. Bringing back one of the oldest and most beloved children games, Arzuffi decides to pour the public’s fantasy out asking them three simple questions on water’s color, scent and shape. The most original answers will be edited on the Emergenze Creative website.

Lastly, in Piazza del Popolo we can admire “Rabbits in the sun”, a piece composed by sculptures of full-scale rabbits clustered around some glass jar capturing solar rays. The work of Massimiliano Pelletti shows how to produce energy and use it in a sustainable way. Indeed, during the day the piece captures sunlight to use it during the night lighting the funny rabbits. The recreational nature of this piece is aimed at intriguing young public, educating in the same time at using renewable energies.

We should not miss this interesting mix between art and environment, sharing the contemporary artists’ critical points of view on these matters.

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Environment has a lead role in Milano

by Eleonora Anello

Milano Film Festival, in its sixteenth edition, decided to concentrate on environment protection trying to lower its impact on the hosting urban surroundings. There will be ten days of screenings dedicated to raise awareness on environment issues.

Many movies and many themes will be covered. The first one is “water”, in collaboration with CAP Holding, a public company that is in charge of the water system in 230 municipalities in Lombardia.For the second year, they have built up a “water’s house” in Piazza del Cannone and two water nozzles nearby the refreshment stands in order to deliver sparkling and still tap water without any transportation impact. The aim of the campaign is to request people not to consume plastic bottles and glasses. On every eco-glass and flask you can find the campaign slogan: “I drink tap water”.

«Milano Film festival’s care on environment combines with water public companies efforts to promote a sustainable employment of water – Alessandro Ramazzotti, CEO of CAP Holding explains – Put water at people’s disposal, in a meeting place such as a cinema festival, is an attempt to enhance tap water’s quality and to invite citizens not to waste it».

On the waste side, thanks to Amsa, a separate refuse collection system including paper, plastic and cans has been activated. If someone is not sure about the correct delivering of garbage can ask the Legambiente volunteers for help.

Milano Film Festival is also official partner of CiAI, the National Consortium for aluminum waste Recovery and Recycle. Cristina Gabetti – TV journalist and newscaster – will officiate a panel that will award the CiAI Prize for Environment to the best movie on environmental issues and sustainable development.

Lastly, landscapes will be protagonist in the “FAI il tuo film” contest. Italian Environment Fund (FAI) wants to enhance the best Italian places using cinema, part of its well-established campaign called “I luoghi del cuore”.

What else? Enjoy a sustainable view!

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“MENO 100 kg, ricette per la dieta della nostra pattumiera”

by Roberto Cavallo
Edizioni Ambiente, 2011

Emanuela Rosio's review

How to explain to children the European strategy on waste reduction? Perhaps remembering the actions of a grandfather they did not know. That grandfather, who spent hours hunched over a step to straighten the nails from the rafters and then put them off depending on the size in a Nutella jar.

An image that more than any other explains one of the European strategy 4 “R” to reduce our impact on the environment. The R of reuse, that reuse of objects that imply great creativity, innate in the past rural world.

Roberto Cavallo's book strenght is in this skill to make concrete a difficult subject, transforming it in daily acts. A problem to solve that becomes a common word that involves everyone. The waste management that metaphorically becomes a diet problem. As in summer before you go to the seaside. To follow a diet means to start thinking to what we throw away figuring out if these things are really necessary or if we cab change our behaviour and reduce also our bin's size. A light reflection that touches our future, that interrupts for a momentthe festivities of the Titanic to question the route, to say that maybe there's still time to divert from the iceberg that is waiting for us.

So let's ask what are disposable things, what are the products we buy and if there are some less impactful on the environment. Almost like a game that touches all the rooms of the house. And so in the text, we find the advice on cleaning products do it yourself, on homemade yogurt, on home composting to be done in the garden, how to reduce and reuse everyday objects.

The book flows slightly, taking over the theatre play called the same in which ideas become concrete suggestions for changing your buying choices, with jumps into the past of the author's family and references to current legislation and Roberto Cavallo's professional experience (President of ERICA soc. coop, services company that designs and realises environmental communication campaigns), alternating between descriptive and didactic parts.

The book can be of interest either to those are seeking advice on waste reduction, or those who are looking for a book able to evoke past times with great effectiveness, especially in terms of ability to transmit images and sensations described in minute details.

The book can be purchased at the discounted price of 12 euros (instead of 14) until September 5th by sending an email to amministrazione@cooperica.it. The book will be in all bookshops since September 7th.

For more info: ERICA soc. Coop. www.cooperica.it.

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Re Boat Race: The Recycling Race on Lido di Ostia

by Giuseppe Totaro

Creativity, genius and environmental protection: these were the ingredients of the Re Boat Race, the race of boats made entirely from recycled materials, which took place at Lido di Ostia on 19 and 20 June, in the sixteenth edition "From 100 to 1000 Sails - the festival of the sea of Rome".

The idea of eco-friendly first race of Italy came to Sunnyway and was a real hymn to the creative recycling: each team has built for themselves their own boats, and many have chosen to do it directly on the beach the day before the race. The materials used wewrw numerous: plastic, cans's aluminum or Tetra Pak used for milk and beverages.

The communication of the event was particularly effective, considering also the many people who attended it: constant presence among the media dedicated to the world of sailing, funny flyer and poster to promote the initiative and a really complete blog dedicated to the event, www.reboatrace .com. Apart the registration form and a series of images of similar initiatives around the world, were available all relevant information to make a perfect boat with recycled materials and a rich gallery of videos about other races taking place every year especially in the United States.

The Re Boat Race was not the first initiative in this direction. The most recent examples were the Plastiki, the catamaran made entirely of recycled PVC bottles that accompanied the Englishman David Rothschild in solo ocean crossing from San Francisco to Sydney or the Soap Kayak Race, the race with a cardboard canoe which was held in September on the river Adda.

The first "recycled" race is an example of how environmental initiative, created from a simple idea, if is right-communicated can give a big feedback to the themes of communication of reuse, especially if it is associated with a funny event of great impact as the Re Boat Race.
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Councillor’s secrets

by Daniela Zannetti

The human anthropic pression on environment and natural resources, in addiction to destruction of ecosystems, can generate threat against citizens health. Some environmental policies seek a reduction of the impact, acting on the waste disposal cycle. That’s the case of Rossella Zadro, Ferrara environmental councillor, which explains her initiatives on “reciprocity” for the reduction of garbage production, or composting to valorize organic matter without combustion.

Ferrara city councillor Rossella Zadro's "mutual" ambiental policies says «What keeps terms between entity and territories it's not money, whose create gradients, but is the "gift" that generate a common reciprocity». Zadro explains: «Recovering unsold goods at the end of the day, giving those to associations, helps to keep down the ammount of waste destined to dump». Zadro also support the idea of giving a TIA discount to sellers to gain a beneficial “gift” exchange for everyone implicated (Andrea Segrè’s Last Minute Market). «Or the recovery of still usefull drugs thanks to a public and private partership: universities, phamarcies and local governs , this operation allows a saving of 110 thousands euros on drugs and provide univeristary students formation credits. The result of this operation also gives to pharmaceutical companies the possibility of changing their "blister". We would like that companies are going to modify their production on the promise of wastage reduction».

“XI commandment should be: do not waste", a policy without hesitations for keeping up the demand of "ambient" from citizens. Like the "No" at Linea2 by multiutility Hera implant (waste and energy, water services) that were destined to burn 45 thousands Tons of biomass waste. «Mayors and municipalities should cleaning the air from the products of combustion- says the councillor- particulate matter (PM) emissions from Hera were destined to impact on an area already occupied by a petrolchimical implant and by a incinerator that dispose 130 thousand Tons of garbage».

It's a recent news: the petrolchimical implant will get a magistrature controlled activity after a citizens petition. A monitored territory where recovery is every day duty, even Hera is getting a tweak to reduce even more the emission that now are 10 times under the law's limits. «We cannot compute the social cost in terms of pubblic health wherever pollution is not controlled - explains Zadro who adds - Our rapports with Hera are good but even if burning biomasses is provided by the Regional Waste Plan we are shocked from the fact that in Bologna (Hera Ambiente) decisions are made by technicians without any policy evaluation. We work so hard on our the separate collection because we want it to be enhanced as compost and not as mere energy. Without this efforts we wouldn't give the 15% discount on the waste collection tax to those who practice composting, helping to reduce organic waste».

«Keeping in mind that we don't get any help from the national regulation, we designed some other projects with addictional TIA discount to merchants who utilize bulk water. We produce about 719 Kg pro capita garbage, with an experimental policy in a small area outside the center of the city, we detected a reduction of about 105Kg pro capita garbage which 45% is umid-organic waste. We distributed 1819 composters to citizens which 1270 of them asked for the discount, but we will proceed with some verification to assure there will not be pressures only on paying citizen. In our three-year plan with Hera- keep explaining Rossella - we setted some indicators to maintain and overcome the 65% separate collection law expected by 2012 on the 50% base achieved in 2010. Returning to Biomasses, there is an implant at Argenta, it's a short chain one and it's placed in open countryside. A 3MW impant in Ferrara would be unthinkable especially thinking there it would be a raise in truck traffic, already considerable, on the roads near the city».

Municipalities and national provinces should be doing universally recognized environmental pacts. Becoming low waste stakeholder with citizens. Agreeing on common ways between different administrations. Creating Life+ between Nord and South Italy Governs. Finally: building a sustainability net.
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Environment from limit to value. A political experience

by Roberto Cavallo

The pages of the book by Renzo Penna “Environment from limit to value", subtitled “political and administrative experienc "(Editori Riuniti University Press) are 540, but when you have finished them you realize that they could have been even more and you would not feel hard to read.

The tone that comes from the pages is the typical one of those who approach environmental issues: enthusiast!

I met Renzo Penna while he was in charge at the Province of Alessandria as Councillor for the Environment, accompanied by his skillful staff and I immediately understood the cultural approach that he wants to give to his political mandate, and perhaps the main ingredient of his suffered, but resolute resignation.

Yeah, because anyone who deals with environmental issues sighting beyond the electoral mandate and interpreting the essence of sustainable development – the one caged by the Brundtland definition of leaving their environment at least in the same conditions in which it was inherited - is likely to be misunderstood.

And that's what we read in the pages of Renzo Penna; of that environment that perhaps for a while has been a limit for him, but that has suddenly turned into a value: the value is much more than the price, because you cannot buy the value is can buy, you cannot sell it, you cannot discount!

This is the feeling that takes the reader who reads the chapters of the Water, sailing firstly the Orba river and its contract of the river, then from the Tanaro and Bormida rivers, overcoming the tragic events of chemical pollution of ACNA insdustry and the flooding of 1994.

The value of human health and life, infinitely superior than the profit, is what characterizes the dramatic chapter on Air and the paragraph on asbestos.

I find again in the pages of the chapter on waste the real footprint left by Renzo and his administrative experience, that I had the fortune to live professionally. The stubbornly insist on wanting a provincial waste plan based heavily on waste reduction and materials recovery through door-to-door waste separate collection, beyond the political difficulties, makes Justice to Renzo Penna for having pioneered the EU directive that calls Member States and local authorities to set their own programs and plans.

The imprinting of the councilor Penna does not stop at his pages, but fortunately it is directly on the territory, so much so that according to the latest official data of the Piedmont Region are at least thirty municipalities in the province that recycle more than 65% of its municipal waste and some municipalities such as Bassignana or Castelletto Monferrato that have greatly reduced their waste to landfill and throw only 65 kg per inhabitant per year, just that if everyone does this, the Province of Alessandria wouldn’t have problems of urban waste management.

I would like to close with a small editorial critic. I saw better the chapter “Ecolavori” (Green jobs) as the closure, after the chapter on energy because Ecolavori has been and continues to be a unique experience at the national level, as I think unique was also the administrative experience of Renzo Penna that is so well described in the book I invite you to read.
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Extended producer responsibility: a conference in Rome on Wednesday

by Silvia Musso

It will be held on Wednesday, June 15th the international conference "Extended Producer Responsibility: weaknesses and strengths of an innovative strategy", organized by Low Impact and ERICA in Roma, in the Sala della Mercede of the Deputies Chamber.

The extended producer responsibility (EPR) is a strategy designed to promote the integration of environmental costs incurred in the production and use of a product, during its life cycle, in the price of the product itself. It has been officially introduced in the legal system with the European Waste Framework Directive 98/2008 and implemented by the Italian Government by Decree 205/10. Now the Italian Government has the task, through specific decrees to regulate its implementation.

Therefore the conference is aimed at focusing on weaknesses and strengths of the application of this strategy in Italy and Europe, under different points of view.

Roberto Cavallo, President of ERICA, leader buniness in Italy for environmental communication, will moderate the conference. Then the following speakers are planned: Andrea Cinosi, President of Low Impact; Pietro Di Paolo, Councillor for Productive Activities and waste of the Lazio Region; Thomas Lindhqvist, University of Lund (Sweden), will talk about the European experience, while Angelo Monfredini (Xerox SpA), Luigi Langella (Seat) and Walter Facciotto (CONAI - National Packaging Consortium) will bring the voice of firms about the EPR.

«The Low Impact Association was founded with the aim of spreading the culture of environmental savings and create the conditions for all subjects to be facilitated by adopting concrete commitments in this way - says Andrea Cinosi President of Low Impact. Since this is the first time that an issue of such importance is deepened in an authoritative way in Italy, the conference organized in cooperation with ERICA, is a testimony to the successful strategy adopted by Low Impact, which aims to promote environmental savings and promote a synergic action of all actors involved in environmental protection, as demonstrated by significantly complex and sensitive issues such as the Extended Producer Responsibility».

«Only a close cooperation between local companies and citizens allow a real sustainable development - explains Roberto Cavallo, President of ERICA. In this context, thinking about waste, to allow citizens to do a good waste separate collection and to companies to be competitive, it is necessary to use less resources and their complete recyclability. The first experiences in Europe and in Italy demonstrate how this combination, catalysed by the public authorities, is the synthesis of a winning approach, also for a local diffused economy that can overcome the crisis through reuse, recovery and repair of items that require precisely the manufacturer's responsibility that does not end with the placing of the property market, but targets the reuse of the product itself, even in other forms. This conference is the first occasion in Italy to reflect on how the application in Italy of the art. 8 of the Waste Framework Directive may offer new ways towards goals of sustainability that will lead to reset the waste for disposal». More...

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Environmental volunteers wanted

by Eleonora Anello

An opportunity to meet young people from all around the world to reflect on the human condition, to effectively improve the relationship between people and nations, to help our planet and to deepen your own knowledge about communication. With these aims, the association Emmaus, 14 groups in Italy, 300 in the world, in collaboration with the Municipality of Turin and NGO Gruppo Abele, is organizing from July 10th to September 4th, an international campus which will be merged virtuous volunteering and environment.

The Emmaus International Camp will be held in the chief town of Piedmont, in 4 shifts of 14 days each, in which the main activity will involve the collection, sorting and selling of used material. The profits will be totally devoted to the implementation of initiatives of solidarity with the weakest and most marginalized of society. Part of the proceeds will go to victims of trafficking and prostitution, while others will serve to open new communities for hosting people in difficulty, in Italy and also in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

In addition, there are moments of reflection on current issues such as immigration, peace, law, memory, life styles, the hospitality and the solidarity.

It is expected the participation of about 800 young volunteers who will be offered accommodation, meals, t-shirt and badge in order to operate. Among the notables, at the time have already offered to assist the project Don Luigi Ciotti and Luca Mercalli, dealing respectively about legality and lifestyles. There will be concerts and shows too.

«It must, in this historical period, recover the Community dimension of humanity, bringing cultures and peoples to build a sustainable future for ourselves and future generations from one end of the world - the organizers explain- the basis of this common sense depends upon the acceptance of others and acceptance of common rules of coexistence based not on prejudice but on respect for all and the common good. It’s necessary to understand the reality from the facts and from the knowledge of the situation and the involved players in order to not risk a simplistic and demagogic approach fuelled by the media increasingly bent to partisan interests».

For those who wished to participate, individuals or groups, all information are available online at www.emmaustorino2011.net. Just choose a period of participationand and you have a round of legal age.

You can promote the initiative through word of mouth or donate material which is no longer used, like furniture, clothing, paintings, lamps, frames, bicycles, books, appliances, dishes, glasses, dishes, short items of all kinds and in good condition.

You will finally play your part in the joint market (from July 23 to September 3, 2011, Padiglione 3 of Torino Esposizioni) and the "Grandissimo Mercatino Finale " scheduled for September 10 and 11, which will be put on sale material Emmaus European community that will be participate at the event.
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Real Nappy Week to share a secret

by Silvia Musso

In the first nine months of pregnancy before the happy event, future mothers imagine how their baby and what bright future awaits for them.

They probably do not pose the problem of the impact that their baby will have on the environment. A creature so small could ever produce much waste? Here's the answer: the disposable diapers can be up to 10% of municipal solid waste and their impact on the environment is high because they are not recyclable waste and take 500 years to break down completely, while the cloth diapers are reusable multiple times and for more than one child!

To avoid that every new birth brings with it a terrible ecological footprint Nonsolociripà was created. It is a group of parents from all over Italy who uses cloth diapers for their children and aims to spread, without any profit – they do not advertise any brand - the culture of reusable diapers both through direct contact and arranging meetings on the territory to share experiences and information, and through their website.

In the wake of events with similar names such as the European Week for Waste Reduction, and Italian Week of Reusable Bag, the group NonSoloCiripà will promote also in Italy the International Week of Cloth Diapers, Italian edition of Real Nappy Week, that will be held from 16 to May 22, 2011 all over the world.

To celebrate this campaign (the sixth international edition and the second Italian one) NonSoloCiripà is organizing several initiatives throughout Italy, through the network of so-called "voluntary ciripine” (from ciripà an ancient Italian word for the cloth diaper).

The theme of the 2011 edition is: SHARE THE SECRET! The existence of cloth diapers as an alternative to disposable it is almost unknown to many parents, or there are still a lot of cultural resistance (inherited from older generations) and many sanitation concerns over its use.

The Week promote this: to allow parents to discover the hidden virtues and the best tricks for using cloth diapers. The spread of this alternative to disposable diapers, it is advantageous from many points of view.

It is environmentally sustainable because less waste will end to landfills; it is economically sustainable both for families, as cloth diapers cost from 150 to 800 € from birth to potty, compared to € 1000 -3000 for disposable diapers, and for the public authorities who need to dispose a lower amount of municipal waste; it is sustainable under the medical and health aspect because the child's skin is in direct contact with breathable fabrics and absorbent, unlike disposable diapers containing various substances and synthetic chemicals (such as sodium polyacrilate discussed, pollutant TBT).

These and many other information that are against stupid stereotypes will be provided to interested citizens during the many events planned throughout the week and downloadable from the site. www.nonsolociripa.it.

Among the activities we remind the competition "Share the secret!" to which you can participate by expressing through art, photography, drawing, words, etc., the discovery and the meeting with the cloth diapers.

You can participate to the competition in two different ways: by publishing your works on the Association Facebook page or by e-mail by sending them at info@nonsolociripa.

The most voted work on Facebook page will to win a sticker for the car that makes everyone know that "there is a ciripino (baby wearing a cloth diaper) on board". The Jury Prize will instead be a wetbag. More...

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A royal yes environmental friendly?

by Eleonora Anello

The media of all the world, especially those dealing with environment, presented them as environmental friendly. But the wedding celebrated on Friday, April 29, 2011 between the Prince William and Kate Middleton have been so attentive to the environment?

Apart from the rivers of ink that have been paid to obtain the maximum media coverage, we start from the crowds of London. The long wait has produced a flood of waste into sugar-coated almonds, flags and food consumed, so it took a team of 130 people to collect 140 tons of rubbish left. Perhaps less impact, the 2 billion of people not physically present, who have followed the ceremony in front of the TV or computer.

It’s likely that the press has given too much credit to the proverb: "Like father, like son". And Prince Charles, in fact, seems to have been the only member of the Royal Family who didn’t disappoint the environmental expectations. So, he was able to impose sustainability on the wedding party in which they were served "zero-miles" food and biological canapés, with ingredients coming from his farms. The bride and groom on their side were concerned to print menu and press kits on FSC certified recycled paper.

The ecofriendly choices are then involved the floral arrangements thanks to Shane Connolly, floral designer from the sustainable approach, made of plants and seasonal flowers from organic farming, which prefers potted plants rather than cut flowers.

Even for the rings they gave priority to re-use. For the engagement, Prince William has recycled the ring with sapphire and diamond ring that his father gave to Diana, a gift symbolically very powerful. The gold of the wedding ring, gift from Queen Elizabeth, came from UK mines. Still on the subject of reuse, Kate’s dress was decorated with jewels in part on loan again from the Queen.

To reduce the environmental footprint also the guests were bothered. They could choose to make donations to thirty organizations, including some dedicated to protecting the environment, avoiding unnecessary gifts. In addition, the newlyweds have asked them to plant trees to offset CO2 emissions, more than a little irrelevant as they are from all over the world will fly in most cases private.

So the media are focused on these particulars that if compared to everything else appear to be marginal. Only The Telegraph has expressed criticism of the management of the environmental impact by publishing a rough calculation of the carbon footprint of the international event, carried out by Landcare Research. The results are devastating for the environment. The CO2 generated from the ceremony is the total produced by Buckingham Palace in a whole year. There is around 6765 tons of CO2, 12 times the annual emissions from the palace in London, 1230 times the annual emissions of an average English family.

We can console with the fact that the green choices are not confined to the day when the royal couple gave their yes. The house of 789 square meters in the countryside of Cornwall where William and Kate will live, will be highly energy efficient in part using renewable sources.

Although some choices reward the Royal Family, also the communication of the event didn’t fully respect the most basic sustainable principles. Low impacting the announcement of the engagement on Twitter and Facebook and the sending of the first invitation to the crowned heads by fax, evidently considered more effective by the Windsor for passing information on major events and certainly much more environmental friendly then the invitations printed on paper and adorned with gold delivered in 1900 invited the following month.

Judge for yourself if you can talk about a green wedding or a glitzy show in which the respect for the environment has had a contained part. We recognize the merit of the Royal Family that have mobilized a lot of money for this global event that triggered mass-appeal, seeking to promote exemplary environmental and giving visibility to some best practices that will leave intangibles and materials legacy for the environment. One thing is certain, though less glamorous, the common marriages are much more environmental friendly.
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In place of the second edition of “Porta la Sporta”

by Eleonora Anello

It officially started Friday, April 16th. We are talking about the second edition of “Porta la Sporta” (Let’s bring our bag), a campaign against the use of disposable plastic that we have been following from the its beginning. 100 municipalities, 12 provinces, dozens of other public and private subjects, 19 supermarket groups are striving to change in a sustainable habit characterized the waste of resources and energy, causing environmental emergencies that our planet, and especially the seas and their inhabitants, are no longer able to bear.

The 2011 edition was launched in a particular context in which the marketing of plastic bags in Italy has been banned by law but which, to date, have not been written decrees and consequently are not even provided the sanctions. Only a few municipalities have enacted specific ordinances, which were more or less effective and more or less respected. There remains, therefore, rely on common sense of individuals, committees and associations. As the campaign Porta la Sporta, sponsored by the Associazione Comuni Virtuosi, WWF, Italia Nostra, Touring Club Italiano and Adiconsum, under the patronage of the Ministry of Environment.

This year, the slogan is represented by a direct and engaging question, cleverly put on the mouth of famous testimonial. The video posted on the net, with Luca Mercalli as protagonist with his purchases in durable and capacious bags, closes with the question: «Do you want to be part of the problem or the solution?». But about the choice of the campaign, we'll talk with the creator and coordinator Silvia Ricci.

How are you going to the 2011 edition?
«Well! After only two years, what I consider positive is the establishment of a common front against the use of disposable bags. Usually the unit is created in our country only on major issues such as nuclear or water public, to name a few. It is difficult that we can create cohesion in shares much simpler devices based on small everyday action. Porta la Sporta has managed instead to create a strong and profitable synergy among the various actors who participate in it. Among administrations, associations, schools and supermarkets, and between them and the media. Each then tailored to their abilities and their specificity. There are municipalities that have already participated last year and they decided to expand their project. As the City of Dro (North Italy), which organized a veritable collection points to reward those who reuse shopping bags, inspired by Sfida all’ultima Sporta (Challenge to the last bag), another our campaign».

Can we define Porta la Sporta an interactive campaign?
«Of course. It provides support and assistance to all those who want to take the lead. I consider it a real strong point. Many can participate just because we have made available their communication means that would not have been able to field. Do not underestimate the involvement then of the true ultimate consignee, the citizen who, carrying with themselves the reusable bag, internalizes a habit that springs from the knowledge and reasoning, motivating them to carry on».

This year the event has had ample space in the media both local and national...
«The media coverage has certainly increased thanks to an excellent relationship with the media. The national level has certainly strengthened the local and vice versa. At national level we have certainly got the reputation that we deserved but the local media that make it more widespread effectiveness of actions».

It seems that also this year Porta la Sporta will surely leave its mark and will do through the creation of interactions and long-term relationships that will last beyond the period of the campaign.On the website you can find a list of all the initiatives you can participate, such as flea markets and barter, sewing workshops with recycled materials and more. More...

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The winners of the second edition of the European Week for Waste Reduction

by Silvia Musso

It took place yesterday, March 28 at the Radisson SAS Royal Hotel, the Award Ceremony of the European Week for Waste Reduction. In recent weeks, a jury of experts evaluated the best waste reduction actions among the 4,231 recorded in the last 20 to 28 November.

Five actions have been awarded, one for each category of project developer: public administrations, associations and NGOs, businesses, schools and other institutions (hospitals, nursing homes, etc.).

The jury’s work not have been easy, but at the end they came to a mutual agreement.

Here the winners:
Public Administration Category: Environmental Authority of the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (Catalon Region) with “Better than New 100% Old campaign”;
Association and NGO Category: Ecoscience Provence (France) con l'azione “Responsibile Purchase”
Businnesses Category: Codorniu Group (Catalon Region) with “Reduction of glass in packaging in the wine sector”
Schools Category: St.mary Eps Scotland Dunblane (Scotland) with “Food Waste Reduction Challenge”
Other Category: architect Elisa Andretti (Malta) with “Malta Reuse MAp”
The Jury Prize was finally won by Aeress (Spain) with “Waste watchers”.
All winners were presented with a plaque with a high symbolic value.

The climate of the Ceremony was marked by a festive atmosphere and by the European secretariat members’ satisfaction.

If the award has led the conclusion of the second edition of the Week, it is not time to stop.

Today, Tuesday, March 29, in fact, the organizers of the States that participate to the EWWR shall meet to report the progress of the 2010 edition and especially to begin to lay the framework for what will be the third and final edition of the Week that we remember is a three-year Life+ project.

Waiting to see what the organizers have decided and what will be the news, save the dates of the next European Week for Waste Reduction: 19 to 27 November 2011! More...

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“CircOLIamo”: the environmental information is on the road

by Silvia Musso

After the 2007/2008 edition, last February, "CircOLIamo" started again. It is the on the road campaign of the COOU, the Italian Consortium of Used Oils, aimed at raising public awareness on proper management of used lubricating oil, the one that recovers at the end of the life cycle of lubricants in machinery of factories and industries, but also in cars, boats and agricultural vehicles of every citizen.

In the two years the COOU truck will cross all the Italian provinces stopping in many places to meet people, media and local institutions.

To make us better explain the interesting campaign we have contacted the director of COOU communications, engineer Antonio Mastrostefano.

What is the new edition of the campaign and how it will develop?
«In this edition, we wanted to highlight that to protect the environment through the collection and disposal of an hazardous waste such as used lubricating oil, can become a resource.
We also wanted to emphasize the role that municipalities can play to catch the used lubricating oil resulting from the do-it-yourself. Within our promo-truck we will have the opportunity to dialogue with local institutions, businesses, trade associations, environmental organizations, citizens and young people. The information will have different approaches depending on the interlocutors.
A big innovation, that has been introduced in the new edition, is to combine the traditional day stay in the provincial capitals with few stops of several days in those cities that are considered strategic geographically, economically and socially and that we have defined "metropolitan city". For the first time during these stops, individuals will be able to dispose the used lubricating oil in our village. Moreover, the very young can enrich their information for environmental education by playing the big "Oil Game"».

The distinctive feature of this campaign is the itinerant information. What are aspects of strength and which are the difficulties and weaknesses of this kind of communication?
«Talk of environmental issues "in the street" makes us closer to the local environment, and to the public who feel concerned and involved. This year, then turn more attention to raise young people’s a wareness, meeting them in schools and theaters with the show "ONE WAY. The road to the future" created and led by Luca Pagliari, journalist and actor of Rai Educational channel, through which we want to give small and incremental environmental pills of wisdom. Our local presence also allows us to point out that local governments do not always manage to equip themselves with adequate infrastructure for the people that need to dispose the used lubricating oil. We show as examples the collection centers the all municipalities should adopt, but that in many cases have not yet been prepared».

In these last few days the first phase of the campaign has just ended and it seems to have already received positive results highlighted by the strong focus of the institutions and by the interest shown by citizens and by the large participation of schoolchildren.

There will be many other stops all around Italy. The “CircOLIamo” truck is on the road so be ready to welcome it! More...

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We change the world, one gift at time

by Annalisa Audino

We have already spoken about original initiatives to limit the waste production and to transform the objects that can be still used. There is a new further movement that is called Freecycle: diffused since 2003, the project aims all over the world to reduce the environmental impact of the things that we use. The slogan of the adherents (represented in this sympathetic nervous system video) is "to change the world, one gift at a time" and it is spread through a network composed from almost 5000 groups and over 8 million shed partners in 85 countries of the world. Born in Arizona (USA), it is entirely a no-profit movement of people that exchange and free recycle objects: the principle that animates the Freecyclers is both ethical and environmental because it wants to maintain out of the dumps all still "good" and reusableobjects. Thanks to the movement today they succeed in making circular 500 tons of objects that could be thrown in the dumps instead.

«Our success - the responsible of the movement explains - depends on its same simplicity. It is important however immediately to understand the objective and the functionality of it: Freecycle is not a place in which stuff is found free or in which can be thrown of everything. It is a net to find this of which need is had and in which to make things available still entire that don't serve us anymore. It is fundamental also the attitude of whom participates therefore, that must have understand well the message of the movement. In a certain sense we also inspire in the adherent ones the sense of the generosity of spirit, toward the people and toward the environment».

Being Freecyclers is easy: to participate in the official movement needs the enrollment in the local mailings list and publishing announces of the objects you want to give or to exchange; to do it in a home version you need to create a chain with your own friends to use the objects that you don't use anymore! And it’s also possible to practice the Freecycle in various Italian cities as Rome, Milan, Bologna, Lecce and a lot of others. There is also a group in Turin: it deals with a base devoted to all those people who prefer in the city "to recycle" an object rather than to throw it away. The affiliates must respect a basic rule: all the objects described in the messages published on the website are free offered. The affiliates can send messages for objects of every kind, as a chair, a piano or an old door.

What are you waiting for? We have a lot of objects forgotten in the closets that wait only to be used. Their moment has arrived! More...

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