Castelsardo has reconfirmed , also for 2024, the prestigious "Plastic Free Municipality" award . The turtle-shaped award created and promoted by Plastic Free Onlus, the voluntary organization committed to combating plastic pollution, was awarded in recent days during the event held in Milan at the Carcano Theatre.
The 111 awarded Italian municipalities passed an evaluation based on 23 points , divided into 5 pillars: fight against illegal abandonment, awareness of the territory, management of urban waste, virtuous activities of the institution and collaboration with the non-profit organization.
In Sardinia, there are only seven Plastic Free Municipalities that have won the coveted recognition: Aglientu, Badesi, Castelsardo, Olbia, Stintino (Sassari); Teulada (Southern Sardinia); Elmas (Cagliari) . Only Castelsardo and Elmas have reconfirmed the award, won for the first time in 2023 .
The event, held under the high patronage of the European Parliament, the Senate of the Republic, the Chamber of Deputies and the Municipality of Milan, was attended by various authorities: from the mayor of the Lombard capital, Giuseppe Sala , who received recognition for the first time, to the vice president of the Senate, Licia Ronzulli . The Minister of the Environment, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, entrusted his greetings to a video message: «The Government is committed to combating plastic pollution with regulations, laws and funding also for research, but a collective effort is needed and everyone we are called to consume less, reducing waste and recovering materials."
«In two years, we have gone from 49 to 111 Plastic Free Municipalities , a sign that the commitment of local administrations, supported by our volunteers and representatives, is becoming increasingly widespread – declared Luca De Gaetano , founder and president of Plastic Free Onlus – For next year, we will make the participation of Municipalities easier by digitizing the procedures. But the great challenge that awaits us is that of internationalisation: we will cross national borders with the aim, in the coming years, of raising awareness among up to a billion people, starting from Europe."
For the environmental policies councilor of Castelsardo Roberto Fiori " reconfirming yourself is always difficult , especially when recognition is given to virtuous municipalities that are committed to protecting the environment for future generations".
