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It is with great pleasure that I am with you today at the press conference to inform you about the pilot implementation of a source separation program for biowaste or organic waste, as well as the start of the implementation of the Pay As I Fly System in Aradippou Municipality and the Communities of Kellion and Troullo.
This action is implemented in the framework of the integrated project on waste management LIFE IP CYzero WASTE. The project "Smart Monitoring and Effective Waste Reduction in Cyprus" with a series of actions with 19 partners, until 2029, will contribute to the implementation of the targets set in the Municipal Waste Management Plan 2022-2028 and the National Waste Prevention Programme 2023-2029.
Today in Cyprus organic waste, food waste and garden and park waste account for about 42% of the mixed municipal waste. Due to the fact that separate collection of organic waste from households has not yet started in Cyprus, organic waste is collected together with other wastes as mixed waste.
Among the organic waste management measures according to the above mentioned Plan are the implementation of separate collection of organic waste, the installation of community and household composters, the collection of green waste at green points and its transfer to licensed plants for treatment, the utilisation of the existing infrastructure of the Kossi EfW and/or the creation of additional infrastructure at the EfW for the treatment of separately collected organic waste, as well as the setting of standards for compost and biowaste
With the above measures in mind, the Department of Environment as the coordinator of this project, in cooperation with 18 strategic partners, aims to implement specific actions. These actions will support, enhance and maximise the implementation of the waste management hierarchy and the separate collection of waste streams, including organic waste, with a focus on waste prevention and separate sorting, as well as the adoption of best practices to ensure the diversion of waste from landfills in Cyprus.
The diversion of the biodegradable fraction of municipal solid waste from landfills in Cyprus will be supported, enhanced and maximised through the implementation of the waste management hierarchy and the separate collection of waste streams, including organic waste, with a focus on waste prevention and separate sorting, as well as the adoption of best practices to ensure the diversion of waste from landfills in Cyprus.
The diversion of the biodegradable fraction of municipal solid waste from landfills in Cyprus will be supported, enhanced and maximised through the implementation of the waste management hierarchy. It is stressed that, currently, the quantities of municipal waste disposed in landfills reaches about 70%, while Cyprus' target is to reduce it to 10% of the total generated quantity by 2035.
Dear friends,
The pilot implementation of the biowaste source separation programme in the Municipality of Aradippou and the Communities of Kellia and Troullo, which according to the Local Government Reform will be integrated into the Municipality of Aradippou, is an important action of the LIFE IP CYzero WASTE Project. This action will properly prepare the newly established Aradippou Municipality to have full responsibility for the management of its municipal waste, in accordance with the Municipal Waste Management Regulations by Local Authorities, which provide for the mandatory implementation of source separation and separate collection systems for municipal waste as well as Pay As I Throw systems by 31 June 2024.
Aradippou Municipality and the Municipalities of Kellion and Trullo will be the first to pilot the separate collection of bio-waste in Cyprus. The aim of this action is to divert 2,700 tonnes of pre-sorted organic waste per year from landfills to the Integrated Waste Management Facility of Kossi, for the production of high value-added soil conditioner (fertiliser), ready for use by farmers or in green areas.
The Department of Environment of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, as well as myself personally, will be by your side, will closely and systematically monitor the development of this pilot project and I assure you that, you will have the necessary support in order to achieve the target of separate collection of organic waste with 155,000 tons by 2025 and 160,000 tons by 2030.
I am optimistic that your cooperation and zeal will be essential ingredients in the development of the project, as well as in the handling of the targets we have to face as a Member State of the European Union in order to achieve separate collection or recycling at source of organic waste by 31 December 2023.
Dear friends and colleagues, I would like to congratulate you and wish you success in the challenging task you have undertaken!
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