Italian Doctors Warn of Plastic Threat from Carnival Confetti and Streamers

Rome: Plastic confetti and streamers thrown during Carnival celebrations pose a significant threat to both public and environmental health due to their high plastic content, which has increasingly replaced traditional paper, Italian doctors cautioned Sunday. The festivities, continuing until ‘Fat Tuesday’ next week, have prompted concerns regarding the environmental impact of these festive projectiles.

According to Ansa News Agency, the Italian Society of Environmental Medicine (SIMA) has urged mayors across Italy to ban the use of plastic confetti and streamers during carnival events. SIMA highlighted that these items, once made exclusively from paper-a material that decomposes in approximately six weeks-are now often composed of highly polluting plastic materials. This shift aims to enhance consumer appeal with metallic or phosphorescent colors and glitter coatings.

SIMA explained that these decorations and colors result from the use of microplastics, which persist in the environment long after the celebrations, taking up to 600 years to decompose completely. The society emphasized that the risk extends beyond environmental concerns to human health, as microplastics and nanoplastics contaminate the sea, water, land, and air. These particles infiltrate the human body through food, water, and air, potentially increasing the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and damage to various bodily systems, including the endocrine, respiratory, nervous, and reproductive systems.

SIMA President Alessandro Miani called for action, stating, “For this reason, on the occasion of Carnival, we want an appeal to the mayors of all Italy to issue ordinances, as done by the Municipality of Venice, aimed at prohibiting the use of plastic confetti and streamers on the territory.” This appeal seeks to mitigate the potential health and environmental threats posed by the continued use of plastic-based festive products.