Remember Naples’ trash crisis, with its rotting piles of rubbish threatening the health of this major Italian city’s inhabitants? Now it appears to be Palermo down in Sicily which is becoming submerged in piles of stinking refuse.
This latest Italian rubbish crisis does not yet appear to have reached the scale of that in Naples.
Such was the level of the trash trouble in Naples that the situation grabbed the attention of the press throughout the world. The affair also blackened Italy’s image somewhat, and had Italy’s prime minister scurrying down to trash infested Naples to sort the mess out.
Recently, items of news on a mounting trash problem in Palermo have also been reaching the Italian press, but stories have been overshadowed by Italy’s recent bout of showgirl politics.
Just what is happening in Palermo? A good question, and here are some recent YouTube videos which might give you an idea.
Mini-Update: As at 9th December 2010, the Palermo Garbage crisis has not been resolved and appears to be worsening. Media attention is focused on Italy’s other infamous trash troubles in Naples, but the trash problem in Sicily is causing problems as is shown here: Why I have not written in a while End of mini update.
Palermo invasa dai rifiuti – Palermo Invaded by Refuse
This alternative tour of scenic Palermo was placed on YouTube a couple of weeks ago. Things were not looking too good back then.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCTAEVkUp_YPalermo arte, storia ed emergenza munnizza (rifiuti) maggio 2009 – Palermo, art, history and refuse emergency – May 2009
This video shows the Palermo trash situation back at the end of May. Not pretty, and the mini-presentation at the start states that Palermo’s fire department have been kept very busy extinguishing piles of burning rubbish.
Bagheria sommersa dai rifiuti – Bagheria, a Suburb of Palermo, submerged under refuse
This video is very recent. It’s from around the 19 June, 2009 and is a report on mounting piles of rubbish in Bagheria, a suburb of Palermo, which is Sicily’s capital city. You don’t need to understand Italian to be able to comprehend how the Bagheria area residents feel.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awiVyGKtbIkCauses?
Amia, the firm responsible for trash collection in Palermo city cannot afford to pay its employees. According to Leoluca Orlando, a former mayor of Palermo, and now an Italian Values party politician, the refuse collection company Amia has literally been brought to the brink of bankruptcy by fiddles and corruption. Such has been the abuse of Amia‘s finances, that the company’s coffers appear to have been virtually sucked dry.
Another organisation, Coinres, which is supposedly responsible for refuse collection in the area surrounding Palermo, is also having problems with employees who are not overly happy about not being paid. Like their Palermo city centre counterparts, these disgruntled employees are not out collecting rubbish. Coinres is possibly another case of the covert ‘diversion’ of company funds.
It is appalling how the refuse situation in Palermo has been allowed to sink to this level, but it also illustrates just how big a problem Sicily has with corruption.
Cures?
Who knows. Berlusconi is far too tied up with his burning showgirl issues to be able to worry too much about burning trash in Palermo at present. It is likely that the situation will become well out of hand before Italy’s prime minister decides to wade in. Although the army has already been sent in to tidy up, as the Palermo situation begins to bear a startling resemblance to that of Naples.
Catastrophe for Tourism
This latest Italian rubbish crisis in Palermo could have a catastrophic effect on tourism this summer. High season is just about to kick off, what with July being just around the corner. Oh, and we are in the middle of an economic crisis too, which means that Sicily probably can ill afford to lose any form of income, let alone that from tourism.
That’s not to mention this embarrassing situation further blackening Italy’s already rather tarnished worldwide image – Silvio Berlusconi’s Misunderstood Image Problem
Italy stumbles towards yet another scandal.
Sources:
YouTube
Spazzatura a Palermo – Trash in Palermo – in Italian, Inviato speciale.it, 01 June 2009
Italy: Army sent to Palermo to fight rubbish crisis – in English – adnkronos International
Stormy says
I have been living in Palermo Sicily for 2 years and the rubbish crisis is an on going problem. I live in an upscale neighborhood by the sea and beyond my gates are the rubbish bins. I have the pleasure of seeing the garbage pile up when the men don’t get paid which happens regularly. The problem is that the men do not get paid to collect because of financial problems with AMia but the problem is also the mentality of the people here. They basically do not care about what is beyond their front doors. They have in general very little respect for the environment at all.
The beach I go to which is popular in the summer, is overrun with garbage. It is not a regulated beach but more of rocks with great swimming and the people absolutely destroy it. They throw their plastic bottles and other rubbish everywhere. It is disgusting and I had to stop going bec ause I did not want to sit amidst garbage. There are garbage containers but they are too lazy to take their garbage with them and throw them away in the containers on the way out. The teenagers go at night and leave all their beer bottles and used condoms and cigarette packages behind.
I have watched people throw their garbage down in the street in the old town within feet of the containers.
The other problem contributing is a lack of containers and a lack of recycling containers. I lived in the old town for a year and there was NOWHERE to recycle and the garbage containers were removed and the garbage continued be thrown down on the ground where the containers had been and pile up in the street. the bags would get split open and then be dragged everywhere. ONce the tire of my car caught a bag full of glass bottles and was dragged. you can now imagine the mess.
The garbage problem is a sign of a much deeper mentality problem here. People here have a mafia mentality…in that they do not care about anyone but themselves. There is absolutely no respect here for anything.
Other cities in Sicily are not like this. Palermo is in general one big rubbish dump.
Thank god I am leaving in two months!!!!!
Alex Roe says
Hi Stormy,
What you are experiencing in Palermo is what I see up here in Milan – only the examples of the Italian lack of consideration for others and for their environment is manifested in other marginally less insidious ways up here in the north – such as blocking pavements with cars, trying to run you down as you cross the road, not picking up dog excrement and a few other ‘little’ things.
If Italians (many, but not all) cannot show a little consideration for others then the environment does not stand a hope.
Italy is an odd place that seems to be at odds with itself.
Thanks for your comment.
Best,
Alex