The Salento municipality of Nardò has introduced fines of up to € 450 against those caught throwing masks and gloves on the street
Enough of the havoc of masks and abandoned gloves on the streets after use. The mayor of Nardò, a municipality in the province of Lecce, has decided to take a hard line and has just offended an ordinance that will punish with a very high fine who will be caught throwing away the so-called PPE, personal protective equipment.
ABANDONED MASKS, SANCTIONS UP TO 450 EUROS? Those who abandon gloves and masks used to prevent ...
Posted by Comune di Nardò on Thursday, May 14, 2020
The coronavirus, among the many "collateral" damages it has brought with it, has also contributed to the presence of new abandoned waste. For this reason, at least in Nardò in the heart of Salento, we run for cover. Mayor Pippi Mellone has introduced a very severe penalty against those who recklessly throw away gloves and masks. In fact, the new ordinance establishes that
"Anyone who abandons personal protective equipment on public land, along the roads or disperses them in the countryside, is punished with a fine ranging from a minimum of 75 to a maximum of 450 euros".
In recent weeks, the presence of these types of waste has increased to the point of becoming a serious problem, not only from the point of view of cleaning and urban decor, but also for the health. In recent days, the Councilor for the Environment Mino Natalizio had urged the population not to throw away masks and gloves, also to avoid any source of contagion but it was not enough.
So the mayor Mellone has decided to go hard by introducing a sound fine. The municipality is also preparing theinstallation of baskets dedicated to the collection of used gloves and masks. Especially near supermarkets and other shops, there was a large presence of this type of waste:
“Everything leads us to think that for a long time we will be forced to use gloves and masks to prevent contagion from Covid-19. So a measure that allows us to discourage the phenomenon of indiscriminate abandonment and to induce dirty people to behave more civilly and with common sense, it seemed right. Abandoning gloves and masks will cost dearly, because we are convinced that urban decor, environmental protection and risk protection are very important. Local Police and environmental inspectors will monitor these deplorable behaviors, ”said Councilor Mino Natalizio.
Unfortunately, the new coronavirus-related waste is helping to fuel an already serious problem. If even 1% of the masks we use ended up in nature, every month we would have 10 million dispersed in the environment, equal to 40 thousand kilograms of plastic. Recently, the WWF has invited municipalities to set up new bins in particularly critical places, such as ports, parks, villas and supermarkets to discourage the abandonment of PPE.
Emergency masks and gloves thrown on the ground: binders are immediately needed in ports, parks, villas and supermarkets!
We hope that the risk of sanctions can also convince those who still persist in abandoning waste on the street.
Sources of reference: Municipality of Nardò
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