Rome, Italy: These Cities Are Leading The World In Zero-Waste Recycling

Rome, Italy: These Cities Are Leading The World In Zero-Waste Recycling

Rome, Italy: These Cities Are Leading The World In Zero-Waste Recycling

Source: https://www.thetravel.com/top-cities-leading-zero-waste-recycling/

Author:  Dora Nuss Warren

Rome does not necessarily have a reputation as a "clean city." There are famous photos of trash bins brimming with cardboard and plastic waste. ANSA reports that it is one of the cities that contributes the most to plastic pollution in the Mediterranean. Yet, the city is taking steps to reduce the waste they produce and recycle more. Over the past year, Romans threw out almost three million tons of trash. That's about one ton per person--not as little as Bogota or Bangkok, but still down there. Romans have innovatively tackled their plastic problem: people who recycle PET bottles receive credits that they can redeem as metro tickets. This has had a huge impact. People have turned in around 5 million bottles since the initiative began. In all, the citizens of Rome recycle about 32% of their waste.