The biggest one I’ve noticed is their trash disposal system; rather than having a garbage truck driving around, which creates lots of CO₂ emissions, all residents and businesses have to walk their trash to different drop-off locations that are all around the city. It is so quick and easy; I always drop mine off on the way to class. It is also an expectation that you sort your trash—each drop-off location has a different chute for glass, plastics, and general waste.

They limit single-use plastics! Anytime you order a coffee, you will be given it in a glass; you only receive a paper cup if you specifically ask for one.

Florence has strict laws to help prevent food waste, especially in restaurants. To follow these laws, restaurants serve portions that they believe the customer can fully eat in one sitting; this way, they don’t have to throw anything away. 

Another big thing Florence works to limit is their food waste. There are many laws set in place to force restaurants to not waste food. If a restaurant throws away too much food, they can receive a large fine. To combat this, restaurants will serve you what they believe to be a proper portion size so there is none left over. 

Florence has an excellent trash system. Rather than having a trash truck drive around producing CO₂, each resident is required to walk their trash to trash cans all around the city. 

Florence is a walking city! You can walk all over the city so easily, there is no need for a car. When you do need to get around quickly, Florence has a great system of buses that can take you wherever you need to go. 

Many restaurants in Florence have also joined in on an initiative to donate any extra food to food banks at the end of each night. Not only does this help to limit food waste, but it also helps to feed the hungry. 

In other efforts to prevent food waste, many restaurants throughout Florence, including the one in this picture, have joined an initiative to help limit food waste by donating any leftover food to homeless shelters and food banks. 

It’s not just the city of Florence that actively tries to stay sustainable; it is part of Italian culture to not be wasteful. In class, we took a field trip to the market and learned the Florentines waste no parts of the animals and have created dishes to ensure every part can be used. 

Aside from food and trash, there are many other ways that Florence stays sustainable. For example, it is a very clean city in terms of transportation. It is a walking city, and a car is in no way a necessity. If you do need to go further, there is a great system of buses and trains that can help you get anywhere you would need to go. 

Florence's sustainability doesn’t just stop at food and trash. The city is well known for their secondhand markets, where merchants can sell secondhand clothes, furniture, and so much more to help keep them out of the dumps. 

It is an expectation throughout Florence that both residents and businesses sort their trash. At each trash station, there is a separate drop-off section for paper, glass, and plastics. 

Sustainability is also rooted in Italian culture. For example, when eating meat and fish, they don't let any part of the animal go to waste. Throughout time, they have even come up with recipes just to find new ways to use each part. 

In the streets of Florence, you will often see people hanging their clothes out their windows on clotheslines. Almost all homes in Florence don’t have clothes dryers. This helps each household to limit their emissions. 

Another way Florence works to be sustainable is with their secondhand markets. Rather than throwing away old clothes, furniture, or art, they hold flea markets selling their old stuff. This helps to keep these items out of the dumps. 

Along with this, it is very common for homes in Florence to not have dryers for their clothes, which leads them to hang their clothes outside. Although this isn’t my favorite thing, it does help to limit electricity.