Ecomafia is an Italian neologism for criminal activities related to organized crime which cause damage to the environment. The term was coined by the Italian environmentalist organization Legambiente in 1994, and has since seen widespread use. In Italy, environmental crime is one of the fastest growing and most profitable forms of criminal activity. As of 2012, an estimated 30% of Italy's waste is disposed of illegally by organized crime syndicates. The United Nations Environment Programme estimated that criminal organizations earned approximately $20-30 billion USD from environmental crimes.