Bins, money for refuse, and other issues
The initial investments for procuring the logistical infrastructure for sorting at source by waste stream, were funded by a European programme during Trepeklis΄ mayoral term. At that time, however, the bins of various colours were ultimately used to replace the worn-out green ones, generally and indiscriminately.
"The claim that the yellow bins have remained unused, exposed to the sun in Temploni for about a decade, is not accurate," said former Deputy Mayor of Cleaning Services, Yiannis Seremetis, in a phone call, protesting the related references in the front-page photo and main article of Enimerosi on Saturday. He added, "I received them in 2023. Of course, it was a programme from the Nikolouzos administration."
The difference in what the former deputy mayor states probably lies in the interpretation and documentation of Corfu’s chronic issues with waste management. As we reminded him during the call, the initial investments for procuring the logistical infrastructure for sorting at source - by waste stream - were funded by a European programme during Trepeklis' mayoral term. However, at that time, the bins of various colours were ultimately used to replace the worn-out green ones, generally and indiscriminately. They were never actually used for sorting at source.
Former Mayor Nikolouzos confirms this, recalling that during his tenure, he inherited a warehouse full of yellow bins—even at the naval base in Paleokastritsa. Yiannis Seremetis also recalled facing criticism for storing the coloured bins at the traffic education park in Alykes Potamos before transferring and spreading them out in Temploni.
Nikolouzos further remembers that during his time in office, European funding was approved for procuring brown bins for bio-waste and small refuse trucks for their transportation. However, these were ultimately used indiscriminately by subsequent administrations for general waste collection, rather than as infrastructure for sorting at source.
Similarly, the Green Spot facility was approved between 2017-2018, yet it still hasn’t been put into operation. (Mayor Poulimenos recently stated that this will happen shortly.)
What does all this reveal? That neither the programmes, nor the money, nor the infrastructure for rational and cost-effective waste management have been lacking for at least the past 10-12 years. So, what has been missing? Whoever finds the answer will get a reward.
As we pointed out to former Deputy Mayor of Cleaning Services Yiannis Seremetis -if the persistent failure to increase recycling rates is due to the dysfunction of the Waste Sorting Facility (KDAY), as both he and Mayor Poulimenos claim, then how is it that North Corfu Mayor Mahimaris has managed to develop four-stream waste separation bins in nearly every village?
GIORGOS KATSAITIS
