Faded items dating back to 1950s have been found on Italian beaches, underscoring plastic’s problematic longevity
E
nzo Suma, a naturalist guide, has always picked up rubbish during his walks along Carovigno beach, a stretch of coastline lapped by clear blue waters close to his home in Salento, an area of Puglia in the heel of Italy’s boot.
During one walk, Suma, 44, spotted a washed-up bottle of Ambre Solaire sunscreen. He was about to throw it away when he noticed something unusual: the price printed on the bottle was in lire, meaning it must have been produced before the euro replaced the lira in Italy.
In fact, after delving further, he was astonished to discover that the bottle dated back to the late 1960s.
