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PhrasesRecycling and WasteÈ vietato abbandonare rifiuti.
B1formal

È vietato abbandonare rifiuti.

Dumping rubbish is prohibited.

Pronunciation

ab-ban-do-NAH-reh — the stress falls on 'na'; the double 'n' makes a held nasal sound.

When to use it

You will read this on official signs in parks, roadsides, and near bins. Knowing it helps you understand public notices and also allows you to cite it politely if someone is fly-tipping near your home.

What it means

Abbandonare rifiuti (to abandon/dump waste) is the legal term for illegal dumping, also called abbandono dei rifiuti. It is an administrative offence in Italy punishable by fines from €300 upward, and in serious cases it can become a criminal matter under the Environmental Code (D.Lgs. 152/2006).

Variations

Il deposito incontrollato di rifiuti è un reato.

Uncontrolled waste dumping is a crime.

Legal register; deposito incontrollato is the formal legal term.

Non lasciare i sacchi per strada.

Don't leave bags in the street.

Practical everyday instruction from neighbours or building notices.

Chi abbandona rifiuti è soggetto a multa.

Those who dump rubbish are subject to a fine.

Warning notice language; soggetto a means liable to.

Mini Dialogue

— Guarda, hanno lasciato un divano sul marciapiede! — È vietato abbandonare rifiuti. Puoi segnalarlo al comune. — Come faccio? — C'è un numero verde o l'app municipale. Mandano i vigili a fare la multa.

— Look, someone left a sofa on the pavement! — Dumping rubbish is prohibited. You can report it to the municipality. — How do I do that? — There's a freephone number or the municipal app. They send the inspectors to issue a fine.

Cultural Note

Illegal dumping (abbandono dei rifiuti) is a serious problem in parts of Italy, particularly in Campania, where the phenomenon of Terra dei Fuochi — land polluted by organised illegal waste disposal — became a major national scandal. Ordinary citizens can report dumping via the municipality or the Carabinieri forestali.