Waste on Italian beaches is growing (961 every 100 metres): not just plastic, but also building waste

Worse than 2022. Every hundred meters traveled on an Italian beach, 961 waste is encountered, a bit as if two lanes of an Olympic swimming pool were full of rubbish. Last year they were 834. Once again, the survey certifies “Beach litter 2023” just released by Legambiente, in first place among the materials found is plastic: the same that kills hundreds of marine species every year and which is now everywhere, even in our brains according to recent studies relating to microplastics.

Also for this reason, the environmental association is once again relaunching the appointment with “Beaches and Clean Seabeds”an initiative that from 12 to 14 May will see 180 meetings which, as part of the international Clean Up the Med campaign, aim to clean up the shores of abandoned waste on the coasts of Italy and 15 other Mediterranean countries.

With the motto “those who love the beach treat it with kid gloves” the call to action by Legambiente aims not only to clean up the beaches, but above all to raise public awareness of the importance of protecting marine ecosystems through a lifestyle “more careful and sustainable”. To participate, information on all the initiatives planned, from Basilicata to Sardinia, can be found on the association’s website.

In the meantime, the latest report released by environmentalists recalls how from the analysis of 38 monitored in 15 Regions (Liguria, Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Lazio, Marche, Abruzzo, Campania, Puglia, Basilicata, Molise, Calabria, Sicily, Sardinia) emerges as out of a total of 232,800 m2 of sampled area have been counted 36,543 rejections.

The classification of waste: plastic in first place

The average is therefore almost 1,000 waste (961 to be exact) every hundred meters of which, unfortunately, 72.5% is made up of artificial polymers, plastic, the most common material.

If plastic is the undisputed queen of the most present polluting materials, this year to worsen the situation, Legambiente reports that in second place in the ranking, unfortunately, there are also several glass or ceramic waste (9.2% of the total), almost all related to building or construction materialsdisposed of illegally on the beach.

The classification then sees on the third step of the podium i metals (6.8% of collected waste), paper and cardboard (3.9%), clothes and fabrics (2.2%), wood (2.1%), eraser (2.03%), bioplastics (0.9%), food waste (0.3%) and chemical substances (0.03%).

Another list and sore point is then that relating to the types of the ten most present stranded waste. Practically half (52%) consists of only 10 types of objects from the analysis of which two aspects emerge: construction materials abandoned on the coasts are increasing while those relating to disposable crockery are decreasing (3% of the total).

In detail, in the first place of the top ten there are always the plastic fragments, about 10.9% of the total. This is followed by caps and lids (8.6%), cigarette butts (6%) and building materials (5.8%). Shortly after they meet the plastic cotton swabs (4%), fragments of polystyrene various (3.9%), and finally both plastic and glass bottles (which increase compared to the past and are at 3%) e various containers for drinks.

Still too many waste prohibited by the Sup directive

Finally, after the adoption of the European directive Sup (Single Use Plastic) taken from 2022, the report attempted to analyze the presence of disposable waste: almost half (46%) is still strongly present on Italian beaches.

The plastic bottles, including caps and rings (15% of the total and 39% compared to Sup objects only) are confirmed as the most present type of waste relating to the directive. Also note the presence of several fishing and aquaculture gear and netswhile positive the fact that i food containers they represent only 1% of the total ei plastic cups only 0.7%. The presence of is also scarce straws (1% total) e plastic bags (2%). Furthermore, from the association they recall that the volunteers also surveyed 58 sanitary napkins and 103 rubber balloons.

In relaunching the cleaning initiative with the hashtag #clean beachesthe director general of Legambiente George Zampetti recalls that it is essential for everyone “to become aware of our incorrect and harmful habits for the environment, both local and national institutions so that they cooperate to apply common waste management and disposal policies, and companies and industries so that they are increasingly committed to “adopt sustainable practices and actions. The data from the Beach Litter survey speak for themselves, the beach still remains the main, undifferentiated waste bin of our activities. For this reason, we invite everyone to participate in our campaign”.