“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure”, says an ancient proverb. This still seems to be applicable when it comes to Italian waste, some of which will be turned into alternative fuels in Austria. Rail Cargo Group (RCG) launched a multimodal service to transport waste from the Maddaloni-Marcianise terminal, near Naples, to Combi Cargo Terminal St. Michael in Madstein, northwest of Graz.
RCG will take care of both rail and first and last-mile truck transport for Weastelog, an Austrian company specialising in waste logistics. Once the cargo reaches the terminal in Madstein, “it gets processed to be used as a substitute fuel”, a spokesperson from RCG explained.
Italian waste exports stir criticism
Italy has a history of struggling to process its waste and often needs to export it as the country lacks the proper facilities and infrastructure. For example, in March 2023, household garbage from Rome started travelling by rail to Amsterdam, in the Netherlands. Here, the waste gets processed by the Amsterdam Waste Energy Company.
Such initiatives, however, are not always warmly welcomed by the public. Concerning the Rome-Amsterdam service, politicians from the Netherlands and Switzerland voiced their oppositions. The Dutch lamented that their country already imports significant amounts of waste and such an initiative might not be as green as initially thought. The Swiss complained that putting waste on trains through Switzerland removes capacity for passenger services.
The new service between Marcianise and Madstein also propelled some criticism, this time from the Italian side. For example, Fabrizio Crisci, president of the environmental committee Ambiente Bene per le Comunità, highlighted how this transport service was supposed to be a temporary solution rather than a regular service.
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