Naples to be cleared of trash

The national government passed an emergency decree in early July to allow the Campania region to export its excess refuse to other parts of the country. The measure follows criticism from the European Union, which threatened sanctions for the estimated 14,000 tonnes of trash covering city streets and the surrounding province in the area’s latest garbage disposal crisis. The regions of Sicily, Puglia, Marche, Tuscany, Emilia Romagna, Lombardy and Friuli Venezia Giulia are expected to accept the refuse from Campania. It is still unclear whether the decree will resolve the years-long problem that has gripped the Naples and environs, caused by the poor functioning of the region’s waste disposal network, a lack of incinerators and dumps and low levels of household recycling, local officials argue.