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The management of hazardous waste from households is one of the challenges of the state, given the mandatory separate collection by 1 January 2025. Currently, such waste is either collected and after pre-treatment at the Hazardous Waste Management Centre is exported for further treatment, or collected and recovered for energy recovery at the Vasilikos Cement Plant. In particular, almost 3,000 tons were received in 2018.
Among the measures of the Municipal Waste Management Plan 2022-2028 that will contribute to the achievement of the separate collection target is the project of separate collection of hazardous waste generated by households. At the same time, this Project is expected to strengthen the existing household hazardous waste management systems by the Collective Management Systems, the licensed companies and the Network of 23 Green Points.
The Project "Household Hazardous Waste Management" aims to inform and raise public awareness through actions such as visits of the four mobile unit trailers, the implementation of the communication strategy, the use of computers in the mobile units for electronic data collection, as well as the implementation of the communication strategy. The project is funded by the Norwegian Financial Mechanism for EUR 500,000 and implemented by the Department of Environment from February 2021 to April 2024.
The action with the four mobile units on trailers involves visits to selected locations across Cyprus, on the basis of a programme, to inform and collect hazardous household waste in suitably equipped indoor areas. The first visit will take place on 16 October 2023, in the Municipality of Nicosia. The visit plan, for a total duration of six months, namely from October 2023 to March 2024, was prepared by the Nicosia Development Company, which will manage it. It is estimated that 250 visits to municipalities and communities in Cyprus will be carried out. This plan is posted on the websites of the project and the Environment Department and is revised every 15 days.
During the visits, the public is informed about hazardous household waste, its classification and how households manage it. The public will be able to leave their hazardous waste at the mobile unit in the various bins set up inside. In particular, the units will collect waste such as batteries, small electrical and electronic appliances, pesticides, fertilizers, insecticides, medicines, cleaning products, printer inks and toners, lacquers, paints, solvents, varnishes and lubricants. The unit will remain in the same place for 2-3 days and then be moved to another location. Household hazardous waste is collected and transported to licensed collection system facilities, such as the Hazardous Waste Management Centre in Ypsonas and the WEEE Cyprus and AFIS facilities in Yeri.
The visit plan has two main objectives concerning geographical coverage and population coverage. In order to achieve the objectives of the project, which are to raise awareness on the prevention, reuse and recycling of hazardous household waste and the increased availability of appropriate waste collection and management, visits should be organised to a large number of Local Authorities and as many citizens as possible should be sensitised by visiting the mobile units.
The Department of Environment of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, aiming to raise awareness On 7 October 2023, the awareness campaign was launched on television, radio, billboards and from today on digital media. At the same time, targeted awareness activities are planned for the interested public of the municipalities and communities visited by these mobile units, such as information material and videos or other promotional items.
Today's press conference is a follow-up to the event to celebrate World Environment Day held on 6 June 2023, during which this project was promoted and one mobile unit trailer was presented.
It is with great pleasure that today I inaugurate the start of the implementation of the We hope for an excellent cooperation between the Environment Department and the Nicosia Development Company and the Local Government Authorities in order to achieve maximum visibility of the mobile units in Municipalities and Communities, increased public awareness, introduction of good practices for the management of household hazardous waste, as well as awakening citizens to the need to change the way household hazardous waste is managed.
Thank you.
(MGM)
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