Italian cities intensify crackdown on illegal waste dumping

Municipal authorities in several Italian cities have launched a series of actions to combat illegal waste dumping. In Bari, a new communication campaign featuring illusionist influencer Asso The Illusionist promotes proper waste separation; local police issued almost 150 fines in the first ten days of July and 34 fines of €1,000 each in June. The city’s waste service removed 2,271 illegal bulky waste deposits in the same period and offered free door‑to‑door collection.

In the Campania region, officials overseeing the “Terra dei Fuochi” area announced intensified patrols, micro‑cameras, and the deployment of photo‑traps and video surveillance. An additional €2 million has been allocated from the Ministry of the Interior to support these measures and improve a georeferenced monitoring map.

Police in Monreale (near Palermo) used high‑resolution drones to locate and sanction offenders, with fines up to €2,500. A separate request for drone monitoring of Piazza Basile was denied, but city officials said CCTV will be installed shortly.

The recycling platform COREPLA launched a gamified “Play Green” program on the Junker app, rewarding users with points and sustainable‑product vouchers for correctly sorting plastic packaging during the tourist season.