Some municipalities in Italy have implemented praiseworthy initiatives that go beyond the simple act of recycling, implementing real alternatives to the disposable or recycle cycle.
The entire recycling process, from waste sorting to material processing centers, has a significant environmental impact, ranging from the extraction and exploitation of resources to the release of CO2 through the transportation and manufacturing process of plastic. Compared to so-called sustainable alternatives, where one material is simply replaced by another leaving the same footprint, breaking out of this cycle is a major step in the right direction.
Millions of people around the world still buy crates of plastic water bottles, either because their tap water is undrinkable or simply for reasons of taste.
In the provinces of Terni and Aosta some of the municipalities, for example, have made fountains and kiosks available to residents, dispensing still and sparkling drinking water at a cost of 5 cents per 1/2 liter.
The initiative has been well received by the residents, tired of having to manage countless plastic bottles disposed after a single use.
Some retailers in the province of Terni sell special 1/2-liter glass bottles that can be refilled in these dispensers and reused endlessly by consumers.
This involves:
• The elimination of plastic bottles from the drinking water supply chain and their post-use management.
• On a large scale, it can lead to a reduction in plastic production.
A call for municipalities: Let’s praise and encourage these initiatives all over the national territory, as well as the fostering of regular domestic water tap controls.