Used clothes, a solidarity initiative that knows more and more of business. In Rome, in particular, the Antitrust has fined the Ama company and two consortia for unfair commercial practices. A very high fine, equal to 210 thousand euros for providing citizens with incorrect information on the collection of used clothing. Other than charity, the collected clothes were sold
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him
Used clothes, a solidarity initiative that knows more and more of business. Other than charity, the collected clothes came sold. In Rome, in particular, the Antitrust has fined the company Ama and two consortia for unfair business practices. A very high fine, equal to 210 thousand euros for having provided citizens with incorrect information on the collection of used clothingi.
According to the Competition and Market Authority, the two consortia Sol.co and Bastiani to which the services had been contracted, would have used endorsements deceptive on the yellow bins. The first will have to pay a fine equal to 100 thousand euros and the second equal to 10 thousand.
“It turned out in particular that the Sol.co. and Bastiani, entrusted with the service, have placed misleading words on the road bins they own, such as'materials in good condition will be recovered as clothing','thanks for your help, help us to help', capable of altering the economic behavior of the consumer ”explains the Antitrust.
In fact, in consumers it was created confusion on the actual collection of used clothing.
“Through these writings, on the one hand, consumers were presented with one purposes of a charitable nature of the collection of used clothing that the same did not have, on the other hand, was hiding the true economic nature of this activity, or that of a collection of special waste, entrusted by Ama to the Solco and Bastiani consortia, and carried out with the main commercial purposes " denounces the Antitrust.
The fault of Ama, on the other hand, is that failure supervision. The Municipal Environment Company of Rome was in fact fined against the consortia entrusted (100 thousand euros) for not having supervised, not having provided a information sticker template to be affixed to the yellow bins as required by law and finally to not having provided adequate information on its website "On the real methods and purposes of the collection".
However, the company defended itself by saying that it had repeatedly urged the two consortia, inviting them to
"Provide for the restoration and cleaning of the containers located in the area, including by relocating information stickers that conform to the model provided to them before starting the Service".
After the start of the proceeding by the Antitrust, the three intervened for remove misleading claims from yellow containers. For its part, Ama has implemented a section of the site in which it has highlighted the data relating to the subjects who collect used clothing and above all the fact that this activity is carried out for commercial purposes and not beneficial.
Practices that let you think and that make you want to evaluate alternative solutions for clothes in good condition but that we no longer use. That it is better to organize one swap party and exchange them with friends and acquaintances? Or even donate them to some needy family?
To read the full text of the provision, click here
Francesca Mancuso
READ also:
USED CLOTHES: WHERE DO THOSE PUT IN THE BIN GO TO END?
COLLECTION OF SECOND-HAND CLOTHES: ONLY 12% IS DIFFERENTIATED
HOW TO ORGANIZE A SWAP PARTY IN 10 STEPS
