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- Ελληνικά
It is a great pleasure to be with you today at the presentation of the results of the project "Separate collection and management of hazardous waste from households"
Events like today's highlight the vital importance of waste management and underline the importance of separate collection of hazardous household waste. At the same time, they highlight the need to create a new philosophy and culture in public opinion about waste management, which, although challenging, paves the way for a better, sustainable future.
In this process, we need to ensure that every citizen understands the value of separating hazardous waste from other waste. Waste is not just garbage that has to end up in landfills. Instead, they are natural resources that, if properly recovered and recycled, can be transformed into raw materials for new production processes and given a second life. This, after all, is the definition and importance of the Circular Economy.
On the other hand, the hazardous waste such as chemicals, electronics, batteries and pharmaceuticals that we use every day poses serious risks that we often ignore. These objects or substances, in one way or another, return to our bodies, since they have already disturbed the natural balance, poisoned flora and fauna and affected our quality of life.
It is for this reason that projects such as the "Separate Collection and Management of Hazardous Waste from Households", to inform and raise public awareness, are the first step towards achieving the goal of an integrated transition to a Green Growth and Circular Economy. A priority, which is also included in the Nicos Christodoulides Governance Programme.
The kick-off meeting for this project took place a year ago, in the context of World Environment Day. The project, which started in February 2021, with an implementation period of 39 months, will be completed at the end of this month. It was implemented by the Department of Environment, in cooperation with the Nicosia Development Company, and with the General Directorate of Development as Managing Authority. It was funded by the Norwegian Funds "Norway Grants Programming 2014-2021", with a budget of €500,000.
In addition to raising awareness of the impacts of improper waste management, its purpose was to inform citizens about the obligation of separate collection of hazardous waste from households, starting from 1 January 2025 - i.e. in about seven months.
Based on the provisions of the Waste Framework Directive, Cyprus takes the necessary measures to ensure that hazardous waste is not mixed either with other categories of hazardous waste or with other wastes, substances or materials.
The project involved the construction of four mobile towed units, which acted as mobile collectors and also as information units, which visited 135 local authorities, i.e. 91 communities and 44 municipalities. This was achieved over a period of five months, starting last October.
A significant number of primary and secondary schools were visited by each unit. The estimated number of students who participated was 7,231, and an additional 9,799 students visited the units. In addition to raising awareness of the various streams of hazardous household waste, these assemblies also contributed to the collection of a large amount of waste.
Ladies and gentlemen,
This project, the results of which will be presented today, is coming to an end. However, our aim is to continue this effort with national or other resources. This will be achieved through visits of the existing four mobile units in municipalities and communities, and we aim to increase the number of units, both mobile and fixed, for even more results.
In addition, the new collective system of extended producer responsibility for waste pharmaceuticals of household origin is expected to be licensed. We hope that these actions will ensure that the production, collection, transport, storage and treatment of hazardous household waste is carried out under conditions that provide protection for our environment.
At this point let me express my sincere thanks to all our partners in the project "Separate collection and management of hazardous waste from households".
Special mention is due to the Municipalities and Communities that hosted the mobile units, especially the four large Municipalities of Nicosia, Larnaca, Limassol and Paphos, but also to the Local Authorities that promoted this project.
The contribution of the Local Authorities is indeed substantial. They have an important role to play both in terms of informing and raising awareness of the local community and in the proper implementation of the legislative framework for waste management.
We take this opportunity to invite the citizens of Cyprus to actively participate in building a greener tomorrow. By properly implementing the separate collection of hazardous household waste we are not only fulfilling legal obligations, but also contributing to the wider environmental management movement, with a view to protecting health and the environment, a more sustainable future for all of us.
(EFYs/EP/NZ)
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