by EH
Volunteers collected 25 bags of waste from the Bay of Sistiana during an environmental cleanup operation over the weekend, highlighting the ongoing issue of coastal pollution in Italy.
The initiative, Il Mare d’Inverno (The Winter Sea), was organized by the environmental association Fare Verde and drew support from local organizations and institutions. The collected waste included plastic bottles, beer cans, fishing nets, polystyrene, and scrap metal, much of it found among the rocks and undergrowth.
Rita Zamarian, regional president of Fare Verde for Friuli Venezia Giulia, noted a shift in pollution patterns. “Unlike in previous years, when most waste was washed ashore by the tide, this time we found significant amounts of litter left behind by visitors,” she said.
Of the 25 bags filled, 15 contained plastic waste, seven held unsorted trash, and three were dedicated to glass and aluminum.
The initiative, supported by the Italian Ministry of the Environment and the Municipality of Duino Aurisina, aimed to raise awareness about year-round coastal pollution. Zamarian emphasized the importance of policies such as a deposit-return system to reduce plastic waste in the sea.
Fare Verde has organized similar cleanups for the past decade, underscoring the persistent challenge of marine pollution in Italy.
