Olbia. Despite all the good intentions and efforts on the part of the Municipality of Olbia and the men of De Vizia, the management of the integrated waste collection service, classified as “Green procurement”, for now it has turned out to be a flop, that is, a problem that needs to be solved at the root. To certify it Municipal Council Resolution no. 196 of 4 June 2024 which, upon proposal of the environmental councilor Antonella Sciolakicked off the removal of the five ecoboxes located in the territory of the Municipality of Olbia.
The eco-islands “destined for the automated disposal 24 hours a day, through the use of the “Health Card”, of differentiated waste such as paper, plastic, glass, cans, organic wet waste and non-recyclable dry waste” had been installed in several points of the city to meet to the needs of citizens. Despite the efforts to keep these structures in good condition, the ecoboxes have become places of illegal landfills: a real havoc to urban decor with possible health and hygiene risks caused by the large quantity of waste that was dumped every day, including bulky materials such as: sinks , bathtubs, vehicle parts, batteries, carpets, furniture and much more humid matter.
The incorrect use of ecoboxes has unfortunately caused an overload of waste, making it difficult for ecological operators to remove the containers. As can be seen from the resolution, instead of the expected 900 kg of waste per day, it is removed from the individual stations up to 1700 kg per day depending on the seasonal period.
The non-compliant use of the ecobox management rules has resulted in significant costs for the Municipality, estimated at over 1 million euros per year for emptying, washing the areas and removing bulky items.
Two days ago the movement of the five eco-islands began which, pending new provisions, were all positioned in the external area of the former slaughterhouse in the industrial area. Now, however, there is concern that the promises signed in the resolution will not be kept with: “the Municipal Environmental Guards and the Local Police of Olbia carry out monitoring and sanctioning activities against any subjects who are caught abandoning any type of waste near the stations previously used for positioning the ecoboxes”. There is a fear that without ecoboxes the phenomenon of illegal landfills will worsen.
“I travel by car for work and the streets of our beautiful Gallura are dotted with waste. Small and large landfills are noticeable. An unpleasant business card for tourists. The operators of the Eco Olbia company are doing a lot these days. I have noticed that some important viewpoints have been cleaned up and this is good. Now, with the removal of the ecoboxes, our administrators think that the phenomenon of waste abandonment is improving. Why isn’t there an awareness campaign to respect the environment? Or do they hope that there will always be volunteers available who will then go and clean everything up at the end of the season? How many fines have been issued against the uncivilized people?
This is what a young driver from Olbia writes. But in these hours the anger is growing because the ecobox service was convenient for many honest citizens: “I wonder what the cameras were for. Why not prosecute illegal immigrants and illegal workers? But no, let’s continue to protect illegal activity and remove the services to correct and responsible citizens who pay their taxes regularly. All this is unacceptable – writes a citizen from Olbia – I expect councilors and councilors to mobilize beyond their own ranks in order to restore a service that is not only useful but has now become obsolete. consolidated and necessary for the well-being of the citizens of Olbia and beyond”.
Early yesterday morning the Olbiamare ecobox was also removed, theater of recent invasions by numerous wild boars. For some time the residents of Poltu Cuadu and Olbiamare have been asking for adequate interventions to remove ungulates from urban areas, but the latter are also attracted to the city by the numerous waste poorly disposed of or abandoned in the streets. Sul Facebook group “Wild boar and waste emergency in Olbia“, numerous citizens continue with photographic monitoring, hour by hour, eaAt 10.20am yesterday, 13 June, the Piazzale Girardengo car park area was still invaded by waste.
The men from De Vizia have cleaned everything carefully and in place of the ecobox there is now a sign “Absolute ban on dumping waste of any type and nature in this area.”
“To stem the phenomenon of waste abandonment, it is necessary to identify, through suitable means, those responsible. Raising awareness is not enough: it is necessary to sanction”, states the lawyer Christian Chicoria who, right from the start, acted as spokesperson for the concerns of the residents of the neighborhoods invaded by wild boars. Chicory is following the case not only as a legal assistant, but also as a private citizen, preparing a petition addressed to the Sardinia Region, the Department of Environmental Protection, the Nature Protection and Forestry Policies Service, the Olbia Forestry Station, the Gallura Local Health Authority, the Municipality of Olbia and the Province of Sassari – Olbia Homogeneous Zone – Temple. The request is for “resolute interventions in order to permanently eliminate all the risks and obvious problems linked to the difficult, if not impossible, coexistence between humans and wildlife”.
The situation of the wild boars is now out of control, and everyone is asked to do their part. Citizen volunteers are also waiting to find a solution: “We have been reporting to the competent authorities for some time now not only the numerous wild boars and the dangers they pose, but also the presence of numerous abandoned waste. – explains Cicoria -. With some volunteers we are monitoring the neighborhoods of Poltu Cuadu, Olbiamare, and the airport area. We will continue to document the presence of wild boars and any new illegal landfills.” The first citizen of Olbia, Settimo Nizzi, explaining that wild boars are the property of the Sardinia Region, he assured that he was waiting to receive instructions from the relevant bodies to put an end to the invasion of wild boars, in the meantime he assured that around thirty new environmental guards have been appointed with the power to sanction uncivilized people.
