Fishing villages in Naples ditch polystyrene in microplastic U-turn

The use of white polystyrene boxes on fishing boats will soon disappear in Italy’s ‘City of Sun’. Two municipalities in the Gulf of Naples, Pozzuoli and Procida Island, have joined ranks in the fight against sea pollution. Thanks to European funds, thousands of reusable crates will be bought to replace polystyrene alternatives. 

The synthetic and multi-purpose material is one of the main contributors to micro-plastic pollution in the Mediterranean Sea. Plastic, in general, accounts for 95 per cent of waste found in this body of water.

“I think that these new crates will be the future. I see it as a positive thing both for the environment and for those who do this job” said fisherman Aniello Micillo.

Additionally, Giuseppe Bucciero, the president of the fishermen cooperative ‘La Flegrea’ told Euronews: “The new plastic crates will be washed, and they will be microchipped. They will no longer be thrown away. This creates a little more work, but I think it is better for the future and maybe we will protect the environment.”

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