According to statistics, the average Cypriot produces 2 kg of waste every day, a big percentage of which is recyclable, while some municipalities groan under the high costs for the transportation and management of waste in landfills.

The waste management issues and actions at the local level was the subject of a consultation held this morning at the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CyBC) Headquarters, with representatives of Municipalities and Communities, under the program ‘ReThink, Reduce – Reuse – Recycle’.

The project is implemented by a group of partners led by CyBC and partners the Cyprus News Agency, the Green Dot Cyprus, the Fost Plus in Belgium, the Department of Environment and the Pedagogical Institute. The project is funded by the EU Life +.

The partners briefed the local authorities regarding the purposes of the program for reducing, reusing and recycling waste in Cyprus on the basis of a comprehensive communication strategy.

At the same time, they discussed local initiatives and problems with waste management, good practices already implemented and the benefits of the involvement of local authorities in the implementation of the program’s objectives.

Representatives of Green Dot, said that Eurostat data show that Cyprus is among the largest producers of waste in the EU and the average Cypriot produces something less than 2 kg waste per day.
According to the same statistics, the per capita waste production is 663 kg per year, with the EU average to be close to 450 kg.

The numbers show a decline for Cyprus, from 750 kg per year that was two years ago, which was attributed to the economic crisis, however, it remains high compared to other European countries.
Representatives of local authorities from Larnaka and Famagusta referred to the high cost of waste management, amounting to 68 euro per tonne for the use of the landfill in Koshis.

They added that actions to reduce, reuse and recycle of waste will benefit local authorities, reducing the volume of waste, and therefore the cost they pay.

It was also stressed the need to create green spots in all municipalities and promote the legal framework for the system ‘pay as you throw’, so that people see the economic benefit directly.

Representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment referred to legislative initiatives and funding opportunities promoted by the state and the EU, in an attempt to turn the waste from a problem, to a resource.

As has been said, invitations to local authorities will be launched in early January, to submit proposals for funding for integrated waste management, while other information activities are also eligible for funding.

Source: Cyprus Mail