Spyros Neratzis: Why have the voluntary Green Spots been ignored in the Municipality΄s new platform?
Neratzis
05 Apr 2021
/ 10:29
CORFU. Spyros Neratzis has issued six comments and proposals for Central Corfu Municipality΄s new platform recycle.corfu.gr
Spyros Neratzis sent the following letter to Mayor Meropi Ydraiou, Deputy Mayor for Cleansing and Recycling Ioannis Seremetis and Deputy Mayor for European Programmes, Development and Digital Governance Panayiota Tzanne:
Central Corfu & Diapontia Islands Recycling Platform
I was pleased to learn from the media that the local authority had creating a new online recycling platform recycle.corfu.gr and I have to congratulate those who were involved in setting it up. This is yet another positive step towards solving the great problem we have faced for years.
We are obliged, in the spirit of cooperation and responsibility, to put forward our views and comments to the local authority, which have, in any case, been available to it right from the beginning. If the local authority considers that any of these can help achieve its goals, they can be incorporated in the platform.
We would like to put forward six points with proposals:
1. Cooperation and consultation with local businesses, members of the public and groups that have been involved in recycling for years
2. Recycling map with all the recycling centres
3. Green Spots
4. Addition of new streams that are not included in the platform
5. Inconsistencies in directions from the local authority
6. Postponement of our pre-election programmes and availability of blue bins
Detailed analysis:
1. Cooperation and consultation with local businesses, members of the public and groups that have been involved in recycling for years
- With the creation of the platform, rather than the local authority working alone, all the people that have been working for years to support all the existing recycling networks on the island could have been included.
2. Recycling map with all the recycling centres
- The recycling map looks like a promotion for the local authority and does not actually serve the public's needs.
- We can observe that the map only shows the local authority's recycling points and does not include many centres run by groups or individuals that have been in operation for years. This has two negative outcomes!
1. It devalues the long-time efforts of many members of the public
2. It is unhelpful to the public as it doesn't give full information about existing recycling centres. For example, the map show 10 locations for the recycling of appliances whereas there are 36.
3. Green Spots
- We see no reference to the existing Green Spots run by volunteers! We see this as devaluing their efforts and doesn't recognise the work, time and money put in by these people!
- The fact that they operate as unofficial groups is no reason to mention them or give them support. In fact, the local authority quite rightly visited them on 22 May, 2020 and included them in the Followgreen platform. These Green Spots are included in that platform. We consider it wrong for them not to be included in the new platform and we should recognise their contribution!
The following is from the visit of the Mayor and her colleagues to Green Spots on 22 May, 2020:
"The modern reward system was created for the first time in Greece and the special QR codes will be available on the Followgreen platform. The codes were given by Mayor Meropi Ydraiou to all the Green Spots operating in the Municipality."
4. Addition of new streams that are not included in the platform
- Quite rightly, 15 separate recycling streams are presented, of which 14 have been operating for several years at collective and individual recycling centres. The new stream in Corfu is the collection of cigarette butts.
- We would have expected new streams for which there exists the necessary expertise to be created and supported. Some of these are cork, olive nets, pesticide packaging and biowaste.
- We also wonder why streams that are already being successfully managed on the island are not included, such as cooking oil, plastic bottle tops, clothing and footwear! The streams are already managed by groups and individuals along with the 10 mentioned the municipal platform. For two of these - plastic bottle tops and clothing - we have proposed a collaboration with the municipality!
5. Inconsistencies in directions from the local authority
- We see that for the stream excavation, construction and demolition waste the public is correctly directed to the location for it to be properly managed.
- Before we give this direction, however, shouldn't the Municipality have arranged a contract with the company to properly manage the bulky items along with those collected by the very good 15601 service? So that these are not just dumped in Temploni. Shouldn't we be sending the public somewhere where there will be proper management of the waste?
6. Postponement of our pre-election programmes and availability of blue bins
- Unfortunately, we see that, for the moment at least, the pre-election programme which was properly studied and costed and could be immediately implemented for sorting at source and the development of at least three more separate streams - plastic, paper and aluminium - has been postponed!
- Unfortunately, at the moment, the only means that the local authority has is the blue bins! Let us hope that the postponement is not for long!
Spyros Neratzis
5 April, 221
Central Corfu & Diapontia Islands Recycling Platform
I was pleased to learn from the media that the local authority had creating a new online recycling platform recycle.corfu.gr and I have to congratulate those who were involved in setting it up. This is yet another positive step towards solving the great problem we have faced for years.
We are obliged, in the spirit of cooperation and responsibility, to put forward our views and comments to the local authority, which have, in any case, been available to it right from the beginning. If the local authority considers that any of these can help achieve its goals, they can be incorporated in the platform.
We would like to put forward six points with proposals:
1. Cooperation and consultation with local businesses, members of the public and groups that have been involved in recycling for years
2. Recycling map with all the recycling centres
3. Green Spots
4. Addition of new streams that are not included in the platform
5. Inconsistencies in directions from the local authority
6. Postponement of our pre-election programmes and availability of blue bins
Detailed analysis:
1. Cooperation and consultation with local businesses, members of the public and groups that have been involved in recycling for years
- With the creation of the platform, rather than the local authority working alone, all the people that have been working for years to support all the existing recycling networks on the island could have been included.
2. Recycling map with all the recycling centres
- The recycling map looks like a promotion for the local authority and does not actually serve the public's needs.
- We can observe that the map only shows the local authority's recycling points and does not include many centres run by groups or individuals that have been in operation for years. This has two negative outcomes!
1. It devalues the long-time efforts of many members of the public
2. It is unhelpful to the public as it doesn't give full information about existing recycling centres. For example, the map show 10 locations for the recycling of appliances whereas there are 36.
3. Green Spots
- We see no reference to the existing Green Spots run by volunteers! We see this as devaluing their efforts and doesn't recognise the work, time and money put in by these people!
- The fact that they operate as unofficial groups is no reason to mention them or give them support. In fact, the local authority quite rightly visited them on 22 May, 2020 and included them in the Followgreen platform. These Green Spots are included in that platform. We consider it wrong for them not to be included in the new platform and we should recognise their contribution!
The following is from the visit of the Mayor and her colleagues to Green Spots on 22 May, 2020:
"The modern reward system was created for the first time in Greece and the special QR codes will be available on the Followgreen platform. The codes were given by Mayor Meropi Ydraiou to all the Green Spots operating in the Municipality."
4. Addition of new streams that are not included in the platform
- Quite rightly, 15 separate recycling streams are presented, of which 14 have been operating for several years at collective and individual recycling centres. The new stream in Corfu is the collection of cigarette butts.
- We would have expected new streams for which there exists the necessary expertise to be created and supported. Some of these are cork, olive nets, pesticide packaging and biowaste.
- We also wonder why streams that are already being successfully managed on the island are not included, such as cooking oil, plastic bottle tops, clothing and footwear! The streams are already managed by groups and individuals along with the 10 mentioned the municipal platform. For two of these - plastic bottle tops and clothing - we have proposed a collaboration with the municipality!
5. Inconsistencies in directions from the local authority
- We see that for the stream excavation, construction and demolition waste the public is correctly directed to the location for it to be properly managed.
- Before we give this direction, however, shouldn't the Municipality have arranged a contract with the company to properly manage the bulky items along with those collected by the very good 15601 service? So that these are not just dumped in Temploni. Shouldn't we be sending the public somewhere where there will be proper management of the waste?
6. Postponement of our pre-election programmes and availability of blue bins
- Unfortunately, we see that, for the moment at least, the pre-election programme which was properly studied and costed and could be immediately implemented for sorting at source and the development of at least three more separate streams - plastic, paper and aluminium - has been postponed!
- Unfortunately, at the moment, the only means that the local authority has is the blue bins! Let us hope that the postponement is not for long!
Spyros Neratzis
5 April, 221
