Rio Fines Litterbugs as Part of World Cup Cleanup
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Authorities in Rio de Janeiro began punishing litterbugs with fines of as much as 3,000 reais ($1,250) in the latest bid to clean up the beach-side city ahead of next year’s soccer World Cup.
As part of what’s been dubbed operation “Zero Trash,” a team of 600 city workers and police officers armed with portable electronic devices are being deployed to enforce a decade-old law against littering. Fines range from 157 reais for tossing away items the size of a beer can to as much as 3,000 reais -- more than four times the monthly minimum wage -- for those caught illegally dumping debris and other large items.