Plastic pollution-cutting project for the Po river

Reduce the Italian marine pollution caused by plastics and raise awareness of a greater awareness and knowledge of the state of our rivers and seas. This is the objective of the 'Let's protect the sea' campaign created by Davines, a cosmetic company from Parma that is attentive to sustainability and the environment, to support 'Il Po d'AMare', an experimental project carried out on the river Po with the institutional coordination of the District authority of the river Po and in collaboration with the Foundation for sustainable development, Castalia operations (the body that deals with maritime activities and the protection of the sea), Corepla (the National Consortium for collection, recycling and recovery plastic waste).

Marine pollution - it is explained - is "an emergency evidenced by tangible signs: according to international literature 80% of the waste found at sea comes from the mainland. To save the sea from pollution, you must first start from the rivers".

"This experimentation - declares Raimondo Orsini, director of the Foundation for sustainable development - constitutes the implementation of a virtuous model of circular economy". The project acts directly on the Po - the river crosses the whole of the north and has a basin that includes about 16 million people, 7 regions and 3,200 Municipalities - intercepting the plastic before it can reach the sea. The creation and positioning of special barriers along the river, in the Sacca di Colorno area in the province of Parma, allows plastic to be recovered more easily and when it is still recyclable.

"The role of the district authority - says Meuccio Berselli, general secretary of the district river authority - is to plan actions that can improve the habitat of the river basin". The waste intercepted by the barriers located in Sacca di Colorno will then be collected by small boats and a subsequent careful selection will allow it to be included in the national recycling system thanks to Corepla.

"Stimulating research to innovate and enrich the proposals in the field of collection and recycling of plastic packaging is the goal of Corepla - adds Antonello Ciotti, president of the Consortium - With this project we will analyze the sources of origin, the type and the quantities of waste, in particular plastic, transported in this important stretch of the river Po. The collected plastic will then be selected to maximize recycling, also developing new uses of the recycled material. An initiative which - continues Ciotti - enriches the previous experiments of the 'il Po d'Amare' project, started first in Ferrara and now in Turin and which together will develop in a highly avant-garde manner and in close collaboration with companies, Public administrations and institutions, timely information as well as greater safeguarding of the territory, of the river ways and of the sea ".