CUT: Cyprus has a long way to go for waste management

In an interview with CNA Theopemptou expresses the opinion that it will take Cyprus 20 years to reach levels of other European countries once it decides to implement their best practices.

On the matter of waste management he says that “unfortunately we are really bad” adding “we are unacceptable”, since statistical data ranks Cyprus in the last positions among its European counterparts, with more waste ending in landfills, while at the same time the average Cypriot produces on a daily basis 2 kgs of rubbish; the greatest volume than any other European citizen.

What we must do immediately, he stresses, is to apply mandatory recycling, separately collecting organic waste.

Theopemptou considers that the establishment of social waste management companies should be regulated by legislation, while he also points out that fines imposed on people who break the law “throwing their waste wherever they want” should be increased.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

The relevant EU directive categorises waste management into five stages: prevention, preparation for reuse, recycling, energy recovery and disposal. However, nowadays the “three Rs rule” has prevailed, reduce, reuse and recycle of waste.

Despite the fact that the triple Rs rule is for many years widespread in Europe, in Cyprus we still have a long way to go”, Theopemptou said, adding that “we have put in paper the reduction policy but we still haven’t seen in concrete practices and examples in practice, while the reuse policy is almost unknown to us”.

Referring to recycling, the CUT lecturer considers that steps have taken in the right direction, adding however that there are materials such as glass, household and construction waste the recycling practices for which are not in the right path.

On the contrary, he says, packaging recycling and car recycling are on the right path, as “metals have value and everyone is interested”. Batteries, paper and liquids` recycling are also on the right track through the urban sewer system.

“There is a company responsible for recycling electronics and electrical appliances”, he says, adding that there are dedicated bins in the shops and the legislation stipulates that consumers can ask for their old refrigerator to be taken back for recycling without extra cost. “However this needs to be further promoted with the contribution of municipal and local authorities”, he says.

Theopemptou considers that organic waste constitutes “a huge problem” for Cyprus because it ends up in the rubbish and is the main cause for fires and bad smell, “when we could use them to make pellets and briquettes for fireplaces and composting”.

In order to achieve this, he says, another recycling bin should be placed next to packaging recycling bins in our homes, to be used exclusively for organic waste (plant and animal kitchen residue, cooked food, cut branches, grass, dry leaves and twigs) and another company should undertake the responsibility to collect, process and sell the new product.

If we were to adopt such a practice, he notes, we would “dramatically reduce the volume of household waste, we would produce a renewable energy source, we would create compost”, because as he says, the soil in Cyprus has lost its fertility. This would in turn lead to the creation of many new jobs because such a system needs units and staff.

Theopemptou further underlines that there are units in Cyprus which could process household waste if they upgrade their systems in order to perform the necessary pasteurisation provided we could “send it to them”.

He stresses that the state should finally put in place legislation for the establishment and operation of social waste management companies, a popular, as he says, practice in most European countries, which on one hand helps as regards reuse and on the other gives people who are on welfare the chance to find a job and to stop been dependent on the state.

Theopemptou explains that profit would not be the aim of these companies but rather to make sure that its workers will be paid and that their role will be to collect and reuse waste, which instead of ending up in the rubbish, could have a “second life”.

Abroad, large household equipment such as furniture ends up in social companies, he says, adding that they then undertake to take it, make minor repairs and to pass it on to a shop which will then sell it charging low prices.

Certain items may be given for free to families in need, he adds.

Unfortunately, he continues in Cyprus we see the exact opposite. “We see sofas, tables and other large household furniture thrown away in nature”. He recalls that the matter of legislation on such companies has been looked into by the Cypriot government but “for unknown reasons it has stopped being promoted”.

In the difficult times Cyprus is undergoing financially, many of the people who are unemployed today, would choose to establish such a social enterprise, he says, adding that all they need is “to have a legislative framework to help them have an income”.

Another popular practice in central Europe, Theopemptou notes, is to pinpoint a specific day of the week when citizens place outside their homes the household equipment they don’t need but still works and donate it to other citizens.

Any household equipment which is not taken will then be collected by a municipality team which will take it to a municipal store.

At the same time, he says, it is also quite usual to have an exchange of school items between students. “We didn`t use to do it until now but it took the economic crisis for us to do it”, he adds.

Theopemptou also critised the way landfills are managed because according to him, despite European directives and signs placed in their entrance which define the materials they can accept, all sorts of waste ends up there.

“If we change our policy, we could reach other European countries` levels in 20 years”, he notes, adding that “today`s policy of constructing massive units for waste will not achieve this”.

According to him the most important steps in the right direction, which should be implemented immediately, include mandatory recycling, including organic waste and putting in place a legal framework for the establishment of social companies for waste reuse, as well as an increase of fines imposed.

Replying to a question whether dealing with waste is matter of attitude, he argues that “attitude can be changed with awareness campaigns and planning”.

“If you do not provide solutions then what does someone wanting to get rid of an old chair is suppose to do?”, he asks, answering at the same time: “He will throw it away in the rubbish”.