Scattered Locations and Success
Public recycling in Venice is extremely limited in respects to both the areas in which it exists as well as it's success. The locations for recycling things such as paper, cans, bottles, and cardboard are widely spread throughout Venice and mainly occur on the outskirts of the city, as you can see in the diagram.
Map showing the locations of public recycling bins
The dumsters are located in these remote locations for two main reasons that pertain to both Venice and it's inhabitants. The first being there is little to no space for a dumpster on most streets as most are too skinny to even fit more than two or three across at a time. The second being the fact that the people of Venice often object to what they consider unnecessary eyesores and refuse containers even in the areas which are large enough for them to fit in. Residents have even been known to complain about standard size trash cans located in the heavily populated Piazza San Marco. Therefore the collection of dumpsters is scattered throughout the city and sometimes with two or three dumpsters placed in the same location. The problem with these dumsters being in such obscure locations is that it causes residents to travel long disatances in order to deposit their recyclables and even the more dedicated environmentalists are discuraged by the thought of carrying their bags such a long way. It obvious that the convenience, or in this case inconvenience, of this system will cause the participation rate to be relatively low and the overall success to follow suit.
Tourists and Recycling
Another huge problem with this public recycling system, or lack there of, is the large amount of tourists that pass through Venice. Most tourists usually visit just for the day and tend to stay in the more central parts of the city and rarely venture off to where one of these recycling dumsters is located. As a result all of the bottles, cans, etc. that they purchase and comsume during that day end up either in regular trash cans or even on the streets or in the canals. This is a huge waste considering the large amount of recyclables that get purchased every day by tourists and also causes the city to appear dirty and unattended to.
