-
.
- Ελληνικά
A press conference was held today, 13 October 2023, for the launch of Action 3 "Visits to local authorities for the diversion of household hazardous waste to licensed facilities" of the "Household Hazardous Waste Management" project in the Nicosia Municipality. The conference was attended by the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, the Mayor of Nicosia, the Director General of Environment, the President of the Union of Cyprus Communities, the Director of the Nicosia Development Company, the Director General of Green Dot, the President of AFIS Cyprus Ltd, representatives of WEEE Cyprus, the General Directorate of Development, the Department of Environment, and other officials.
The Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Mr. Petros Xenophontos, during his address, noted that the management of hazardous waste from households is one of the challenges of the state, given the mandatory separate collection by 1 January 2025. He pointed out that, this project of separate collection of hazardous waste generated by households is included in the measures of the Municipal Waste Management Plan 2022-2028 and will help to achieve the target of separate collection. In addition, the Project aims to raise public awareness and information and is expected to strengthen the existing household hazardous waste management systems of the Collective Management Systems, licensed companies and the Network of 23 Green Points. He pointed out that the excellent cooperation of the Environment Department and the Nicosia Development Company with the Local Authorities is catalytic in order to achieve maximum attendance 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.
The Mayor of Nicosia, Mr. Konstantinos Yiorkatzis, also addressed the audience, stressing the importance of the project, which will contribute to the Nicosia Municipality's actions in the field of municipal waste management.
The project is funded by the Norwegian Financial Mechanism of EUR 500,000 from the General Directorate for Development, Ministry of Finance and is implemented by the Department of Environment in cooperation with the Nicosia Development Company, from February 2021 to April 2024. The four mobile trailers are estimated to carry out 250 visits to municipalities and communities in Cyprus, on the basis of a programme, for the awareness and collection of household hazardous waste. The visit plan, totalling six months from October 2023 to March 2024, is reviewed every 15 days and is posted on the project and of the Department of Environment and on the project's social media.
During the visits, the public will be able to leave their hazardous waste at the mobile unit in the various bins set up inside. Specifically, 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 will be collected and transported to the licensed collection system units.
Aiming at raising public awareness about the Project, the information campaign also launched targeted public awareness activities in the municipalities and communities visited by these mobile units, and similar events will be held in all the Districts.
Aiming at raising public awareness about the Project, the information campaign also launched targeted public awareness activities in the municipalities and communities visited by these mobile units, and similar events will be held in all the Districts.
Contents of this article including associated images are owned by PIO
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
Source
