There were checks, as requested by the mayor Pietro Fontanini, to verify compliance with the anti-waste ordinance in the city’s economic activities, but it was not necessary to “disconnect” any sanction. Those points of sale found with their doors wide open on the public street either continued to keep the heating systems off, or used the so-called air curtains, devices suitable for avoiding heat dispersion from inside to outside. And given the amount of bills, especially for small shops, efforts are being made to limit the use of heating as much as possible, to such an extent that it is increasingly common to come across shop assistants or salespeople wearing sweaters or fleece. It happens in small shops, but also in supermarkets.
The administration’s doubts about compliance with the ordinance arose for the large clothing and underwear chains in via Poscolle, Rialto, Cavour and Mercatovecchio. Here many shops leave their doors wide open, but as mentioned, the use of air curtains gives them the opportunity to do so. In the document signed on 21 October by mayor Fontanini (which remains valid until 31 March), explicit reference is made to the fact that the provision excludes those establishments that have outdoor spaces pertaining to the activity for which passage is essential staff from inside to outside, in addition to commercial establishments and food and drink administration establishments whose public access doors do not face directly towards the outside. The same applies to those points of sale equipped with air curtains. Anyone who does not comply with the contents of the ordinance risks a fine ranging from a minimum of 25 to a maximum of 500 euros.
Among the various shops active in the centre, there are also those who have taken the issue of zero waste particularly to heart, such as Tezenis and Calzedonia, which in the city are managed by the company Sole Srl: «We have a very strict policy on sustainability environmental and social aspects – claim the group – and in the specific case, in November, the shops of the Tezenis and Calzedonia brands kept their doors open simply because the temperatures weren’t low and the heating hadn’t been activated. Not to mention that these shops are equipped at the entrance with a special system with air line, so they can fall within the derogations from the union ordinance ».
For now, therefore, the checks by the local police have not revealed any irregularities in the application of the ordinance, with the staff of the via Giardini command who limited themselves to reminding the operators of the instructions to follow in the event that it starts operating the heating system. We’ll see what happens when the temperatures get colder, if compliance with the rules continues to prevail