The blue wave of Plastic Free volunteers, the non-profit organization committed to combating plastic pollution since 2019, has cleaned beaches, green areas, squares and public places, removing 19.5 tons of plastic and waste. In 90 clean ups held last weekend, around 2,100 volunteers worked with determination to celebrate World Environment and Oceans Day with a gesture of love and attention, thanks to the support of the main sponsor Mini. In Tuscany the two collections were in Lucca and Porcari with 95 volunteers who removed 1,200 kilos of waste. An important, satisfying result. Even if the real satisfaction for the Palstic Free volunteers would be that of not finding any waste at all. “Recently we have swept through the areas of Sorbano, Mutigliano, Santa Maria a Colle, Vicopelago, Pozzuolo and Gattaiola, also encountering real environmental disasters in this last case – says Irene Dell’Amico, Plastic Free representative for the Lucca area –. People throw away everything even in the most beautiful places. In Mutigliano, in via delle Foreste, for example, at every bend you come across piles of waste. The inhabitants help us a lot, reporting us but it seems like a war against the windmills. Also in Sorbano we identified two large landfills, near the church and near the Casina delle Rose. In the area of the Bartolini warehouse there were some machine parts. To “season” glass bottles, plastic bottles and tons of cigarettes almost everywhere. Irene dell’Amico has this mission in her heart, which she does not relegate only to the harvest dates.
“When I walk the dog I always leave with a bag, it would be a good habit for everyone – he says –, and unfortunately it never stays empty”. Another of the areas systematically affected by acts of incivility is the one near the Carrefour supermarket in San Vito. “We are in direct connection with councilor Consani and with Sistema Ambiente, to whom we constantly report critical issues. It’s truly an unequal fight – underlines Irene Dell’Amico –. What pleases us is that this time too many volunteers participated in the collection, there were at least eighty people, thanks also to the collaboration of the Sorbano catechism group, which we thank. Maybe something is moving.” Maybe yes.
Laura Sartini
