Carlo Petrini, founder of the international Slow Food movement, to broaden his environmental appeal.

Despite their different ideologies, the two leaders have joined together to bring awareness to an issue that affects all of humanity.

The 44.5 hectare state hopes it "can in some way become a good example of a ‘green' and non-polluting state."

Recycling initiatives were established in 2008. Today there are over 200 household rubbish and recycling containers dotted around the state for people to drop off their rubbish.

Staff are employed to ensure waste is disposed of correctly.

Residents have been educated about how to follow the Vatican's waste disposal system.

This includes how to separate different types of materials.

The State also trains and employs staff to dispose of the collected waste products.

The paper and cardboard are compacted and recycled. Organic compost is put on the gardens.

Hazardous goods'disposal has strict guidelines.

Pope Francis's encyclical "Laudato Sii, on the care for our common home" played an important part in improving the State's attention to waste disposal, according to his press staff.

"Care for our common home" has been a popular topic during Pope Francis' pontificate.

He often discusses issues like by pollution within the context of how harming the environment also harms people.

"Human beings too are creatures of this world, enjoying a right to life and happiness, and endowed with unique dignity," he wrote in the encyclical.

"So we cannot fail to consider the effects on people's lives of environmental deterioration, current models of development and the throwaway culture."

Source

• Radio Vatican
• Catholic News Agency
• Image:Waste 360
  

The Presbyterian Church has enthusiastically welcomed Pope Francis's encyclical on the environment which addresses one of the great moral challenges of our time, climate change.

"Climate change is a global problem with grave implications: environmental, social, economic, political and for the distribution of goods," the papal statement says. "It represents one of the principal challenges facing humanity in our day."

The Right Rev Andrew Norton, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand, says Pope Francis has highlighted issues of climate change in the context of exploitation of the poor and the abuse of our environment. Continue reading

Earlier unconfirmed reports had put the release date two days earlier.

"To avoid confusion on the diffusion of non-confirmed information, it is communicated that the foreseen date of the Pope's encyclical is the next June 18, Thursday," the Vatican's press office announced.

The encyclical is reportedly to be given the title "Laudato Sii", a quotation from a popular prayer of St Francis of Assisi praising God for the creation of the different creatures and aspects of the Earth.

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A Twitter posting by a Spanish journalist from an event at the Vatican publishing house responsible for printing official documents revealed the information.

The encyclical will be given an Italian subtitle: "Sulla cura della casa comune" (On the care of the common home), the journalist stated.

The Vatican press office neither confirmed nor denied the document title or release date.

The phrase "Laudato Sii" reoccurs several times in St Francis of Assisi's Canticle of the Sun.

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