Conclusions and proposals from the Waste Watch Corfu meeting
Waste Watch
23 Oct 2019
/ 09:48
CORFU. Waste Watch Corfu has published the main conclusions and proposals from Saturday΄s meeting at the Chamber of Commerce.
The Waste Watch Corfu Administrative Committee would like to give warm thanks to all those who took part and contributed in any way to the success of the 1st Waste Watch Corfu meeting in the Chamber of Commerce on 19 October "The Modern European Dimension in Waste Management: Can Corfu follow this model?".
We would especially like to thank the invited speakers Mavropoulos, Veras, Tost i Borras, Mourkakos and Argyropoulos for their immediate response and for conveying their experience and up-to-date knowledge; the political representatives and Corfu business and community organisations who honoured us with their presence; the sponsors for their offers of goods and services; the Corfu media for their coverage and finally, all of our founding members for their timely response to the demands of the meeting.
We would also like to express our gratitude to the tireless volunteers at the Green Spots for the extraordinary community work they do, which was the reason that the speakers showed such interest and responded to our invitation - coming to Corfu at their own expense - and were also able to see at first-hand how these people have managed to successfully carry out a high level of waste management which most European Municipalities - and mainly those in Greece - haven't been able to achieve.
The huge interest in the meeting is due to the fact that there has been a chronic lack of proper waste management in Corfu which is crying out for a solution.
The conclusions from the meeting both on a general level and as affects Corfu are as follows:
1. The starting point for proper waste management is political will, social concensus and transparency in the system of management.
2. Stress on reduction and the development of a strategy to reduce the use of plastic and non-recyclable materials as well as the reuse of used products that have been properly regenerated.
3. A low-cost strategy is Sorting at Source which can be carried out door-to-door and the application of a financial rewards and incentives system based on quantities given.
4. Immediate need for the separate sorting and processing of organic waste (bio-waste).
5. Increased recycling in at least four categories (plastic - paper - glass - metal).
6. Energy recovery where possible.
7. Drastic reduction in residues to a level below 10%.
8. Rigorous collection of rubble and building waste, due to volume and danger, and utilisation as natural resources.
The speakers' positions on proper waste management in Corfu and their proposals are as follows:
1. The planned investment in a mixed-waste facility is now considered to be outdated due to the increased costs for landfilling and the very low percentage of material recovery (<8 - 10%) as well as the discrepancies of this option with regard to the aims and directives of the EU for the coming years - possibly leading to heavy fines. After 2020 the EU will no longer fund these types of facilities as they have been judged to be unprofitable and inefficient.
2. The temporary removal of waste from Corfu to a legal recipient for the next 1 to 3 years is considered to be a positive step due to the obvious lack of landfill facilities. This proposal needs to be carried out in conjunction with the immediate application of Sorting at Source, which is a key factor in achieving recycling percentages in line with European guidelines.
3. Proposal for the creation of 3 composting units in the next 6 months and collection of all the island's organic waste (45% of all recyclable solid waste) to commence in the first half of 2020.
4. Proposal for the creation of a Recyclable Materials Sorting Centre (KDAY) which will accept waste for further sorting following Sorting at Source. To this end, the utilisation and support of existing Green Spots is recommended.
5. (Zero Waste proposal) The EU is exploring the possibility of integrating, harmonising and funding an island with the geographical location and size of population and economy like that of Corfu to become a zero waste prototype for waste management. Corfu is being proposed on the one hand because of its undoubted need for proper waste management and on the other because of the Green Spots which, if properly supported, can contribute significantly to education and raising of public environmental awareness regarding Sorting at Source.
6. Each Local Authority to claim the subsidies from the Hellenic Recovery Recycling Corporation which those involved at Green Spots are entitled to. This could increase the recycling percentage and promote Sorting at Source.
The Administrative Committee
We would especially like to thank the invited speakers Mavropoulos, Veras, Tost i Borras, Mourkakos and Argyropoulos for their immediate response and for conveying their experience and up-to-date knowledge; the political representatives and Corfu business and community organisations who honoured us with their presence; the sponsors for their offers of goods and services; the Corfu media for their coverage and finally, all of our founding members for their timely response to the demands of the meeting.
We would also like to express our gratitude to the tireless volunteers at the Green Spots for the extraordinary community work they do, which was the reason that the speakers showed such interest and responded to our invitation - coming to Corfu at their own expense - and were also able to see at first-hand how these people have managed to successfully carry out a high level of waste management which most European Municipalities - and mainly those in Greece - haven't been able to achieve.
The huge interest in the meeting is due to the fact that there has been a chronic lack of proper waste management in Corfu which is crying out for a solution.
The conclusions from the meeting both on a general level and as affects Corfu are as follows:
1. The starting point for proper waste management is political will, social concensus and transparency in the system of management.
2. Stress on reduction and the development of a strategy to reduce the use of plastic and non-recyclable materials as well as the reuse of used products that have been properly regenerated.
3. A low-cost strategy is Sorting at Source which can be carried out door-to-door and the application of a financial rewards and incentives system based on quantities given.
4. Immediate need for the separate sorting and processing of organic waste (bio-waste).
5. Increased recycling in at least four categories (plastic - paper - glass - metal).
6. Energy recovery where possible.
7. Drastic reduction in residues to a level below 10%.
8. Rigorous collection of rubble and building waste, due to volume and danger, and utilisation as natural resources.
The speakers' positions on proper waste management in Corfu and their proposals are as follows:
1. The planned investment in a mixed-waste facility is now considered to be outdated due to the increased costs for landfilling and the very low percentage of material recovery (<8 - 10%) as well as the discrepancies of this option with regard to the aims and directives of the EU for the coming years - possibly leading to heavy fines. After 2020 the EU will no longer fund these types of facilities as they have been judged to be unprofitable and inefficient.
2. The temporary removal of waste from Corfu to a legal recipient for the next 1 to 3 years is considered to be a positive step due to the obvious lack of landfill facilities. This proposal needs to be carried out in conjunction with the immediate application of Sorting at Source, which is a key factor in achieving recycling percentages in line with European guidelines.
3. Proposal for the creation of 3 composting units in the next 6 months and collection of all the island's organic waste (45% of all recyclable solid waste) to commence in the first half of 2020.
5. (Zero Waste proposal) The EU is exploring the possibility of integrating, harmonising and funding an island with the geographical location and size of population and economy like that of Corfu to become a zero waste prototype for waste management. Corfu is being proposed on the one hand because of its undoubted need for proper waste management and on the other because of the Green Spots which, if properly supported, can contribute significantly to education and raising of public environmental awareness regarding Sorting at Source.
6. Each Local Authority to claim the subsidies from the Hellenic Recovery Recycling Corporation which those involved at Green Spots are entitled to. This could increase the recycling percentage and promote Sorting at Source.
The Administrative Committee
