Some time ago plastic packages of mayonnaise and mustard arrived on the same coast. Documenting the unusual phenomenon is the creator of the “Archeoplastica” project, Enzo Suma,
There is no response yet hundreds of bottles for ketchup and mayonnaise – the first empty and the second full and still sealed – which are landing on the coasts of Salento. The only sure thing is that they come from the sea but nobody knows how they ended up in it.
Red bottles at the beach
The packages are both plastic and of American origin, those for the ketchups are red and they arrived in two waves: in the first they were bigger, in the second they were smaller. In most cases they are empty, in others they have a little ketchup mixed with sea water inside. They arrive above all on the beaches of Lecce and Gallipoli, but a few dozen bottles have also arrived on the Brindisi coast. Documenting the unusual phenomenon is the creator of the “Archeoplastica” project, Enzo Sumawhich aims to raise awareness of the problem of plastic pollution.
The mystery
Where did they come from? “There is no doubt that they have had a long journey. – explains Enzo Suma. – There is no label, but the two ’57’s near the cap leave no doubt as to the brand of sauce“. And he adds: “But it’s not the bottles that are sold in Italy”. The bottles also come from the USA because ketchup is not the only American product that has arrived here. “There are also small bottles of mayonnaise and mustard, breakfast items, shaving foam, energy drinks, and various snacks“, adds Suma. Among the hypotheses is that according to which the products would have fallen from a US military ship, which would have crossed the Mediterranean, during a load of goods or a storm surge.
Previous
About a year ago, Suma himself documented the arrival by sea of several packs of preserves from Albania. Until now, the only report of ketchup bottles having been found had come from Ancona. The situation continues to be monitored but these findings are worrying both for the consequences on the environment and because there are still doubts about theorigin of the phenomenon and how many bottles could still arrive and settle along the beaches of Salento.