Aglantzia Municipality in the Nicosia district, with a population of 22,000 residents, is a pioneer in recycle-reuse and in issues related to decrease of waste material. It is one of the Municipalities with the highest recycling rate in the island.
Soon, the Municipality will be introducing a trash metering system for its residents called `Pay as you throw-PAYT` according to which the households will be charged for their waste based on how much they produce.
In an interview with CNA, Mayor Costas Cortas explained that the efforts underway aim to fully implemented the PAYT system in the town of Aglantgzia so that all residents are charged according to the garbage their households produce, encouraging them to recycle.
Cortas told CNA that a total of 600 special garbage bins have been placed at a designated spot in Aglantzia where residents can drop off their garbage. The bins are designed with a special electronic microchip that registers the total weight of the waste along with the residents` addresses and the date of the disposal. Therefore, as the Mayor explained, when collection time comes, the residents will be charged accordingly.
The Mayor said that there were some reactions at the beginning, however now the residents seem to have realized how much they will be benefited. He also said that as technology progresses, there will be more advanced methods to be implemented for the weight and charge of household waste.
The Mayor also told CNA that the Municipality of Aglantzia in cooperation with AKTI Research Center has introduced a scheme on the recycle of of cooking oil. The oil is turned into fuel, the proceeds are offered to local schools. There are 16 schools in Aglantzia`s boundaries and six of them are marked as ecological schools.
Cortas said that soon the Municipality will launch a campaign to promote its environmental policies and to raise awareness among the residents. Cortas told CNA that although Aglantzia has a high recycle rate island wide, the efforts of the Municipality are focusing on keeping up this rate. He also explained that the Municipalities all over Cyprus are only responsible for the collection of waste, adding that the waste management falls under the umbrella of the Ministry of Interior.
He also said that the Municipality is planning to set up a “Green spot“ for the drop off of electronic appliances that can be used for recycle later on.
Aglantzia Municipality collects PMD and paper from door to door once a week. There are PMD bins located in various spots in the town. Regarding the collection of glass, there are a total of 14 special bins scattered in Aglantzia where residents can drop off their glass material for recycling.
The interview was taken in context of the project Rethink: Reduce- Reuse – Recycle which is funded by the EU programme LIFE+ (project code: LIFE13 INF/CY/000910) of the EU.
Coordinating Beneficiary: CyBC. Partners: GreenDot Cyprus, Department of Environment, Cyprus Pedagogical Institute, CNA, Fost Plus Belgium
