ROME – Piles of waste in some neighborhoods, slowed collections, and stressed facilities. In recent days, Rome’s waste system has faced a new critical phase, but the Capitoline administration assures that the situation is set to improve rapidly. The Mayor of Rome and Special Government Commissioner for the Jubilee, Roberto Gualtieri, has signed three extraordinary ordinances to enable Ama (Rome’s municipal waste company) to fully resume waste collection and treatment activities.
Temporary Plant Unavailability Caused Delays
According to the Capitoline administration, the problems of recent weeks were caused by the temporary unavailability of several treatment and disposal plants, not only in Lazio but also in other Italian and foreign areas where Roman waste is transferred. A series of concurrent factors reduced the receiving capacity of the plants, thus slowing down the normal collection cycle.
Extraordinary Measures for Ama Plants
The ordinances will have a maximum duration of 60 days and concern three strategic Ama plants: Rocca Cencia, Ponte Malnome, and Viale dei Romagnoli. The objective is to temporarily increase operational capacity to allow the municipal company to quickly restore ordinary service. Specifically, the provisions authorize an increase in the storage of undifferentiated urban waste and materials derived from shredding and screening at all three sites. At the Rocca Cencia and Ponte Malnome plants, it will also be possible to use two mobile shredding and screening lines, with possible baling, and to initiate a campaign for the recovery of non-hazardous urban waste.
For the Viale dei Romagnoli site, the ordinances allow the alternative use of three different operating configurations for the lines dedicated to shredding, screening, and baling of undifferentiated waste. This choice is designed to increase the plant’s flexibility during a phase considered particularly delicate for the entire system. The extraordinary measures also include specific environmental and operational requirements to contain odor emissions, dispersion, and potential impacts on the territory.
Campidoglio: “Service Towards Normalization”
The Campidoglio announced that the slowdown in collection should be overcome in the coming days. The administration also emphasized that it has long prepared a network of alternative plants to deal with any emergencies related to reduced treatment capacity. In his statement, Gualtieri explained that the new provisions serve to overcome an extraordinary and temporary phase, but at the same time highlight the structural fragility of the Roman system, which is still heavily dependent on external plants. The mayor observed that even a momentary reduction in treatment capacity ends up having immediate effects on the city and the regularity of the service.
According to the mayor, Rome must aim for greater self-sufficiency in terms of plant infrastructure. This includes both the waste-to-energy plant project and new facilities for the recovery of organic waste, paper, cardboard, and multi-material, structures that, according to what has been declared, should become operational next year. The objective indicated by the Campidoglio is to build a more efficient waste cycle, with less environmental impact and reduced costs.
Alfonsi: “Criticalities Constantly Monitored”
The Councilor for Agriculture, Environment, and Waste Cycle, Sabrina Alfonsi, also commented on the issue, stating that the situation was caused by extraordinary external factors that affected the receiving capacity of several plants. In her statement, Alfonsi explained that the Campidoglio and Ama have constantly monitored the evolution of the situation and that the safety margins previously prepared allowed for rapid intervention. The councilor added that the ordinances signed by the mayor will further strengthen the operational capacity of Ama’s plants, allowing the service to return to full regularity within a few days.
