ZERO WASTE INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCE ZERO WASTE INTERNATIONAL DIALOG

ZERO WASTE INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCE ZERO WASTE INTERNATIONAL DIALOG ( 2009 Febr. 18 -21 - Naples- Italy) Good practises and problems about domestic waste management in Piedmont and Novara( Italy) ( from Fabio Tomei- Unione Tutela Consumatori Novara- www. utc-onlus. blogspot. com)

Letter of Mr. Paul Connett to the President of Piedmont Administration Mrs. Mercedes Bresso( Vercelli- Italy- dated 2008, November the 1. st) “…My recommendation is to avoid to build new incinerators or to revamp the old ones in Piedmont. In addition I would like to recommend you to give incentives for a waste reduction, “porta a porta” waste collection and a waste reclycling…” RESULTS: -no reply -projects for constructing n. 2 new big incinerators near Turin (Gerbido, Settimo Torinese) -projects for revamping n. 2 old small incinerators ( Vercelli, Verbania) -no incentives for waste selection (WS=RD raccolta differenziata porta) -no projects for constructing new waste recycling plants in Piedmont, which are necessary

WHY ? 1)There is a strong pressure from industrialists to public administrations towards incineration of domestic waste, due to a peculiar Italian trick: public subsidies for construction and management of incinerators ( so called “ Certificati Verdi”: more than 40 Billion € of public money given to the industrialists during the last 16 years). At present there are in Italy about n. 50 incinerators, mostly old and small. The industrialists plan to construct in Italy another n. 50 new incinerators of medium or big size; 2)in addition the Mayors of small towns and villages have no proper knowledge about waste management and easily accept from industrialists economic compensations for public works, like sport buildings, new gardens, houses for poor people, etc. againstallation of incinerators in their zones; 3)in addition media, which are generally not indipendent, give the people uncorrect information and push public opinion toward incineration. 4)as a consequence there is no Waste Management Overall Plan of Piedmont Administration, which is under two opposite pressures: from industrialists and from free associations. Pls note that Piedmont has 4. 2 Million inhabitants, half of which are in Turin and its neighbourhood. 5)in spite of this, there are in Piedmont some good practises: waste selection “ porta a porta” up to level of 70 % in some towns( Asti, Novara, Verbania), waste reduction, few projects of processing plants for residual portion of waste after selection( Vedelago-like plant in Vercelli). All these good practises have been obtened after years of struggles from the free associations of volunteers against the local public administrations.

Waste selection in Piedmont ‘ 06 in the main towns( %)

Residual waste in Piedmont ‘ 06 in the main towns ( kg/ pers. day)

Overall picture of Piedmont 1)Lack of a Waste Management Overall Plan by Piedmont Administration causes incertitude of policy and a dishomogineous and contradictory situation in this region 2)As a matter of fact there are 3 Areas(= Province): Asti, Novara, Verbania ( 700. 000 inhs= about 17 % of the region) where WS=RD Porta a Porta is 65 -70 % and the 5 remaining Areas: Alessandria, Biella, Cuneo, Torino, Vercelli ( 3. 500. 000 inhs. ) where WS=RD is 30 -40 % ( except Vercelli= 22 %) 3)Total production of domestic waste= 2. 300. 000 ton/y 4)Project for 2 big incinerators in Torino Area( Gerbido, Settimo) 5)Two small existing incinerators ( Verbania, Vercelli). The second one is now stopped 6)Heavy shortage of ricycling plants in all eight Areas af Piedmont 7)Landfills everywhere

NOW LET’S GO TO SEE NOVARA IN DETAIL

CONCLUSIONS FOR PIEDMONT OBJECTIVES: 1)to reduce total waste production from about 1, 5 kg/per. day down to at least 10 -20 % 2)to increase WS=RD Porta a Porta of 5 areas(AL, BI, CN, TO, VC) from about 40% up to 70%, like the other 3 areas(AT, NO, VC) 3)to hamper the construction of 2 incinerators near Torino ( a VERY HARD JOB !) 4)to construct new plants for waste recycling 5)to change the mind of Piedmont Administration into ZERO WASTE policy( also a VERY HARD JOB !)

CONCLUSIONS FOR NOVARA Next objectives within 2010: 1)to reduce total waste production from 1, 3 kg/per. day down to 1, 0 kg/per. day 2)to reach WS=RD Pa. P= 80 %( now is 72 %, but in some areas of town is 79 %) 3)to build in the town other 2 -3 ecologic centres for big wastes ( old furnitures, old refrigerators, etc. ) ( now there is only one) 4)to reach 100 % capacity of processing of organic waste ( now capacity is only 50 %, the remaining 50 % goes to Switzerland ! CRAZY !!) 5)to build a Vedelago-like plant in Novara Area for processing here our residual waste( now residual waste goes to a landfill near Novara) 6)to create a redesigning centre for industrial goods( at present it’s only a DREAM !) 7)to switch to a better waste taxation system( the present one is unfair, because it’s based on the sq. meter of the house)( that’s would be possible after 2010) 8)to change the mind of Administration into ZERO WASTE policy ( that is also a VERY HARD JOB !)

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION !