Dear Mayors, congratulations on your election, and best wishes for your term in office!
We were pleased to hear Mr. Poulimenos, both during the electoral campaign and after his election, emphasising the importance and urgency of recycling with the aim of reducing mixed waste. The ultimate goal of gradually reducing and eventually eliminating the transport of waste off the island finds us in complete agreement.
The community, willingly or not, had to accept the transportation of waste since we found ourselves at an impasse, and it was imposed on us as the only solution. However, no one felt "proud" of this situation, except, of course, for the outgoing municipal authority, which, by constantly talking about "success," referred only to the legal framework.
The community has always believed that recycling with sorting at source is the solution, and all its representatives consistently sought only that, regardless of whether they were ever listened to. Proof of this is the unique and unparalleled quality and quantity of the operation of the "Green Spots," where residents, through voluntary sorting at source separation, have achieved significant results over the last five years.
Especially in North Corfu, where Mayor Mr. Mahimaris embraced and supported their efforts, they broke the national record for citizens' voluntary recycling, along with the municipal authority!
It is evident, therefore, that people voted overwhelmingly based on success in recycling, meaning real recycling with sorting at source.
They voted for those who would ensure the most dignified solution!
Because it's not only the unbearable economic cost that we eventually learned about.
There is also the environmental cost with excessively higher greenhouse gas emissions that waste transportation causes, instead of reducing them as we are obligated to do, both as a local government and as citizens of the world!
People are happy to recycle!
No! There won't be a need for a "large public awareness campaign."
Just seeing the separate recycling bins is enough, and people will immediately do what they need to do.
The time when people didn't know and needed education has passed.
I know a pastry chef who, for years, gave half-hour lessons to employees on how to sort the kitchen waste, and they carefully threw everything into the blue bin.
But when, (as he complained), he saw them emptying everything together with mixed waste at night, surely he wouldn't be to blame for whatever his attitude might be from that point forward.
The solution is simple
It's enough to place separate waste bins everywhere and collect them correctly by category.
And if the municipal authority supports the citizens' green spots, success will be expedited.
Members of the public will follow without the need for any additional education!
All three municipalities together for a clean and proud Corfu!
The same can and should be done by South Corfu, which is just now recovering from the long, tough, but successful struggle against the landfill in Messorahi, which, if it became a reality, would not only harm the environment but also destroy tourism and the local economy.
Its residents, not only learned but taught the local authority about sorting at source over the years, with so much activism and events that they organised.
Regardless of whether, for reasons of expediency, no one was listening to them.
So, the community is ready to recycle "aggressively" with you.
Just place the bins as soon as possible, and we will prove it!
"The darkest hour is just before dawn."
We place our hopes on you that you will bring it.
We will be allies in your challenging task and will assist as much as we can to ensure success.
Happy New Year!
Dimitris Fanariotis
On behalf of Environmental Initiative-EcoCorfu
and the Bio7 research team.
