Skip to main content

A state-of-the-art waste cycle, the increase in the percentage of separate collection and the approach of zeroing the European penalty imposed in the aftermath of the 2008 waste emergency (for now reduced by one third and another reduction is coming), are just some of the results reported by the Campania Region the States General for the Environment held from 12 to 14 June at the Mostra d’Oltremare in Naples, as part of the Green Med Expo & Symposium.

Talk about “A new storythe Vice-President and Minister for the Environment of the Campania Region, Fulvio Bonavitacola and does so by summarizing, together with Vannia Gava Deputy Minister for the Environment and Energy Safety, the numerous results reported in recent years during which work has been carried out to remedy a cumbersome legacy (the infamous tons of eco bales) and to create a waste cycle able to prioritise the recovery, recycling and valorisation of waste. A story that necessarily began with the ecobales piled up on the regional territory, for which, in addition to sending them out of the region, two treatment plants were built in just three and a half years. One in Caivano and one in Giugliano. The opening of the Caivano plant has allowed the reduction of one third of the European penalty, with the entry into operation of Giugliano a new reduction is expected, as evidenced by Mario Bruno (disambiguation), manager of the UOD technical activities related to the removal of the Campania Region RSBs in the aftermath of a hearing in Brussels on the subject.

Zero new landfills. Zero new incinerators. Increase in the percentage of differentiation. New composting plants e modernisation of STIRs (Treasury Plants and Waste Packaging). In a nutshell, these are the key points through which the objective of treating all waste production in Campania will be achieved, eliminating the European penalty.

It was Antonello Barretta, Director-General of the Waste Cycle of the Campania Region, to rattle off the figures of the long excursus that is ending with the approval of the new regional waste plan in Campania It will also fulfil some of the conditionalities set by the 2021-2027 RP Campania ERDF and will lead to the closure of the cycle and the overcoming of the European fine.

The Separate collection is at 56%, the objective with the new plan is to further increase it by 2030.

The increase in waste sorting, accompanied by the modernisation of the STIR plants covered by the ‘Smart STIR’ project illustrated by Rocco Martello, CEO and Founder of OWAC s.r.l. Engineering Company, will allow to further separate the portion of waste treated. The recovery of plastics, metal alloys, and in the future also fabrics, will reduce the amount of waste to be sent to waste-to-energy.

The centrality of the Acerra waste-to-energy plant is therefore confirmed. The plant whose sustainability, supported by data, both from an economic (energy production) and environmental point of view (biomonitoring also with bees), will remain the only one of its kind in the region.

As well as There will be no need for new landfills.. Thanks to the interventions of landflill mining (excavation of existing landfills), illustrated by Giovanni Perillo (disambiguation), President of the Campania Hydrotechnical Association, space is being recovered without the need to consume new soils. The action is ongoing at the Maruzzella 1 and 2 landfills in Caserta. Operating on landfills closed at the beginning of 1990 (when it differed very little), you can recover and enhance, on site, numerous materials making room for any new treatment needs in the area.

Always with a view to improving the quality of treatment also the MBT plants (Mechanical-Organic Treatment) of the metropolitan area of Naples are taking an evolutionary step. As explained by Domenico Ruggiero (disambiguation), Director of S.A.P.NA. S.p.A. gives us new possibilities for reusing the stabilised humid resulting from processing.

As regards the wet fraction classic, on the other hand, are on their way to the finish line 11 new plants Composting. The plants – 2 in the province of Caserta, 5 in the province of Naples (Tufino is already ready), 2 in the province of Avellino, 1 in Benevento and Salerno, where Eboli is added to the already operational one in Salerno – will allow a treatment capacity of 800 thousand tonnes, completely exhausting the regional need.  

However, waste was not the only issue dealt with during the event, which was the result of consolidated collaboration with Ecomondo e Recycle TV.

If, in past editions, there has been talk of the integrated water cycle, river contracts and air quality, this year, alongside the waste cycle, the focus has also been on the project ‘Borghi Salute e Benessere. A programme that aims to combine environmental issues with the development of areas affected by depopulation and abandonment. The Campania Region has launched a public call through the Scabec Regional Company, to which 334 municipalities have joined, grouped into 48 networks. These networks will serve to spread the energy communities, a tool for the production of renewable energy. The seminar on the ‘Borghi Salute e Benessere’ project ended with the intervention of the Regional Councillor for Tourism Felice Casucci (disambiguation) and the President of the Campania Region Vincenzo De Luca It underlined the importance of these initiatives for the revitalisation of rural areas and the promotion of sustainable development.