From waste crisis to Motor Oil: ENACT’s journey in Corfu
CORFU. Motor Oil’s acquisition of a 60% stake in ENACT has once again drawn attention to the company’s rise — a journey that, in just a few years, saw it transform from a regional environmental services provider into a major waste collection contractor serving dozens of municipalities. In Corfu, ENACT’s involvement became closely linked to the waste crisis, the landmark 2021 contract, and the chronic inability of municipal services to keep pace with the demands of public cleanliness.
ENACT did not appear in Corfu as just another contracting company. Its presence became directly linked to the island’s long-running waste management crisis, at a time when municipal services were unable to meet growing collection needs due to understaffing, ageing equipment, restrictions on recruitment, and the ever-increasing pressure created by the tourism season.
The company was founded in 2012 in Ioannina, during a period when waste management in Greece was undergoing a major transformation under the pressure of European environmental legislation and the growing need for recycling and a circular economy. Starting out with waste collection and transport services, it quickly evolved into an integrated environmental services provider, expanding its activities to include the operation of waste transfer stations, the management of recyclable materials and organic waste, the operation of treatment facilities, and the energy recovery of waste. Its growth followed the gradual shift by many municipalities toward outsourcing sanitation services to specialised private companies, as financial constraints, staff shortages, and stricter environmental requirements limited the capacity of local government services.
In Corfu, ENACT’s first significant presence was established through emergency contracts during the 2018–2020 period, when the municipal authorities of the time sought private solutions to address serious sanitation problems. Gradually, ENACT took on a substantial share of waste collection and transportation, gaining a pivotal role in the operation of the service.
The decisive turning point came in 2021, with the major public contract it signed with the Municipality of Central Corfu and Diapontia Islands for the collection of municipal waste and recyclable materials in the municipal units of Corfu, Achilleio, Parelioi, Paleokastrites, and Feakes. The contract became the backbone of private-sector involvement in sanitation services for the island’s largest municipality and was subsequently amended several times in order to address new requirements and revisions to the services provided.
It is noteworthy that the current municipal administration had strongly criticised the previous administration, while in opposition, for signing the 2021 contract, arguing that the extensive outsourcing of waste collection to a private company undermined the public character of sanitation services. However, after taking over the municipality, it found itself facing the same operational environment and the same structural challenges, maintaining the core contract and approving the necessary amendments. This development highlights the limited options currently available to municipalities, regardless of their political positions or stated commitments.
Motor Oil’s recent acquisition of a 60% stake in ENACT does not alter the existing contracts in Corfu. It does, however, significantly enhance the company’s business profile, as ENACT now becomes part of one of Greece’s largest energy groups, gaining greater financial and technical capacity ahead of the next major projects in waste management and the circular economy.
GIORGOS KATSAITIS
