Rome residents told to cut back on Christmas wrapping amid waste crisis

Criticism on social media as administration attempts to tackle rubbish collection problem

Rome residents have been urged to curtail their use of Christmas wrapping paper as authorities in the Italian capital struggle with the perennial dilemma of waste collection.

The city's new leaders are under pressure to fulfil their promise to clean up the streets by Christmas and, alongside the wrapping paper appeal, are paying rubbish collectors a bonus to head off seasonal absenteeism.