Sicily is Beautiful island, but it does have a bitter dark side of it – abundance of trash. Although, it has amazing nature and building and even more delicious food and hospitable people. However, we as humans don’t appreciate nature sometimes. Same goes for local governments not taking care of pavements, monuments and buildings letting them to the elements to deteriorate them (water, heat and plants slowly destroying them).
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During my road trip in Sicily I’ve decided to take pictures of trash and growing plants on pavements and buildings in all the cities I go.
They say the mafia in Sicily has long been a major problem in the region, and this is particularly true when it comes to trash. Illegal dumping of waste and other forms of environmental pollution have been linked to the mafia in Sicily, with criminal organizations controlling the waste disposal and collection industry. This has led to an increase in illegal dumping, which has resulted in serious environmental and health problems in the region. The mafia has also been involved in illegal activities such as bribery and extortion, which has further compounded the region’s trash problems.
The mafia’s influence on the trash industry in Sicily has resulted in a lack of proper disposal of waste and increased levels of pollution. This has led to an increase in water and air pollution, which has had a serious impact on the environment and public health. The mafia has also been linked to illegal dumping of hazardous waste, which has resulted in the contamination of soil, water, and air.
The issue of illegal dumping of trash in Sicily has been addressed by the government to some extent, but the mafia’s involvement has made it difficult to tackle the problem. In recent years, however, the government has taken steps to crack down on illegal dumping and other forms of environmental pollution. This has included the creation of an anti-mafia task force and the introduction of stiffer penalties for environmental violations.
In conclusion, the mafia in Sicily has had a serious impact on the region’s trash problem. The criminal organisations have controlled the waste disposal and collection industry, resulting in increased levels of illegal dumping and environmental pollution. The government has taken steps to address this issue, but the mafia’s influence has made it difficult to fully address the problem.
Palermo
It seems in Palermo people have learned to incorporate bins into their daily and night life, despite them being smelly or extremely dirty.
Palermo to Cefalu road
Cefalu
Trash Next to Cefalu
Trash on the way to Taormina
Taormina overgrown stairs
Taormina was one of the cleanest towns I must say. Probably because it is also probably one of the most touristic town.
Catania – trash capital
I think Catania was the dirtiest of all…
Those tires in the abandoned building are just waiting for accident to happen as if they catch fire this would be a massive blaze!
Etna Volcano polluted with trash
Sbarcatore Turks and trash
Many people come to enjoy Sbarcatore Turks, but outside of the touristic area full of trash.
Syracuse trash
Generally very clean city, but some pavements forgotten.
Signs need changing as sometimes you can’t see what actually signs means.
Why fix the problem of falling plaster when you can just close entire road for cars and pedestrians! People choose to ignore signs.
Ortigia trash and ruined tiles
It used to be my favourite city in Sicily, but the amount of trash is overwhelming.
Instead of restoring the tiles, they just patched them with cement. Faster, cheaper and probably got paid the same for the work.
Instead of fixing the tiles they just put a patch of asphalt!
Last but not the least, Syracuse amphitheater was completely forgitten and plants are destroying this monument. Shouldn’t the government putting some herbicides or slat to eradicate that vegetation in order to preserve this beauty?
The only place that seems to recycle is Syracuse. Didn’t notice the recyling bins anywhere else. Though Taormina and Cefalu had no trash in the streets, but maybe it is because it is very touristic.
There’s a perception among Sicilian people that waste management is the responsibility of the government, rather than individual responsibility and also some resist changes in waste sorting and disposal practices. While Sicily in general does have a recycling system, it often struggles to meet the demand and lacks the necessary infrastructure to effectively manage waste. Historically, Sicily heavily relied on landfilling, and the existing waste treatment plants are outdated or inadequate.
So all factors compbine together with corruption it leads to large amounts of illegal trash dumping.
Trash by the roads
Almost every road stop is like a landfill. Don’t understand the logic of the people throwing away the whole bags of trash.
Castello Chiaramontano – trash in the grass
Castello Chiaramontano could be really charming tourist attraction. However it is polluted with paper and plastic. In the cellar underneath the castle marked with an arrow there was a strong smell of urine and excrements.
At least I didn’t see glass, as those in this heat would lit that grass like a match.
Valley de templi, Agrigento – trash in the ruins
It is a much cleaner in Valley of Temples (Agrigento), but surprisingly there you can find trash laying around. Even abundance of CCTV cameras and when 12€ for entrance doesn’t stop people throwing plastic bottles in the ruins. It is not very obvious, but wherever you find a hole you will find trash. How uneducated and stupid one has to be to throw trash in this iconic location. However, I would hope that park staff would keep a better maintenance of the place and cleanup the trash too. The entrance fee should cover cleaning costs and improvements of the park, but we barely could find any bins for trash…
Don’t get me wrong Valley de Templi overall is very clean due to many CCTV cameras I guess. Just lacks some bins and WCs.
Costa Bianca with trash
Amazing beauty beach, but getting polluted by glass and plastic. Captured only some of them as there are too many of them! The most dangerous are those bottles in the dry grass. That’s how wildfires start in such a hot sun!
Trash even in the iconic Customs House and again strong urine smell!
Selinunte overflowing with trash
Clearly Selinute needs more bins for tourists as the trash doesn’t fit in the ones provided. Somebody hanged a bag, but that was filled too. Eventually all of this waste will end up in the sea!
Selinunte is a favourite spot for tourists, nice food and hotels. Beautiful views too! However, people are not taking care of environment here.
Trapani trash
Trapani was relatively clean as well, as it is quite touristic and the trash doesn’t go well with those yachts parked in the marina.
Erice trash
Amazing viewpoint, but so much trash!
Cornino trash
It wasn’t much trash in Cornino, but still saw some by the roads.
Trash dumping on E90 to Palermo
Ah, Sicily! An island steeped in ancient history, breathtaking landscapes, architectural marvels, and… a certain… robust approach to urban sanitation. While postcards often feature picturesque ruins and sparkling coastlines, a truly immersive Sicilian experience across many of its vibrant cities, from Catania to Trapani and beyond, frequently includes navigating sidewalks that offer an impromptu obstacle course of overflowing bins and strategically placed refuse. It’s a bold, public display of modern life’s byproducts, a fragrant, visual symphony that adds an unexpected layer of authenticity to the historical surroundings. Forget subtle waste management; Sicily often puts its trash right there, front and centre, a democratic testament to consumption available for all to see and smell.
Yet, even within this island-wide artistic expression of rubbish, Palermo distinguishes itself with a unique cultural flourish. Here, the municipal bins aren’t just passive participants in the urban drama; they often become active partners in the social scene. It’s not uncommon to find locals engaged in lively conversation, animated gestures, and even impromptu dancing right next to these brimming receptacles. While outsiders might recoil from the terroir of discarded organic matter, Palermitans possess an alchemical ability to transmute the mundane (and frankly, smelly) into part of the vibrant tapestry of their daily celebrations. This particular brand of bin-adjacent revelry isn’t a failing of the system; it’s a feature of the culture, proving that in Palermo, joy, community, and a certain disregard for conventional tidiness can happily coexist, often within arm’s reach of last night’s dinner.
Please leave a comment if you liked the post or if you have a great photo to share here. Oh and if you think I went looking for the trash, you are wrong! This is what I’ve seen without looking!