In Jesolo Throwing balloons will be prohibited, flying lanterns and other devices filled with gases lighter than air. Even the municipality of the province of Venice, as many other administrations had already done, issued an ordinance which prevent the dispersion of pollutants, allowing their use only in cases where they are secured to the ground and there is no danger of them flying away. “These products released without control – we read in the provision – are to be considered for all purposes as waste released into the environment. For this reason, a violation of this provision will result in an administrative fine of 200 euros.”
It’s no longer a secret that these items get aired during occasions and celebrations they have a very negative impact on nature. Balloons, even biodegradable ones, pollute the environment and kill animals that mistake them for food or become entangled in strings. Suffice it to say that they are in third place among the most dangerous waste for seal AND sea birds and makes up 80 percent of the waste found in women’s stomachs sea turtles.
Actions carried out by environmental associations have repeatedly alerted the public to the fact that the Mediterranean is particularly exposed to the problem of plastic and abandoned waste: according to a WWF report, 229 thousand tons of plastic end up in our sea every yearof course including the remains of balloons, lanterns and so on.
Involving people in the solution to reduce this serious problem is essential and that is why it is born awareness campaigns. But that is not enough in itself: in fact, the institutions must also do their part. For example, WWF is working with them to improve regulations by revising the Plastics Management Guidelines and increasing the number of types of items that can be recycled, which is currently limited to packaging only.
And it also works with cities, mainly through the initiative Plastic smart cities, with the aim of pushing the industry more and more towards designing environmentally compatible products. In short, there would be actions that would do something, but it is necessary not to wait any longer with their implementation, given that, according to the estimates of the ecological association, if this continues ocean pollution will quadruple by 2050 not to mention that the maximum limit has already been exceeded in many areas, including the Mediterranean.