Filenews 22 November 2021 - by Dora Christodoulou
Recycling was until recently in the district of Pafos a "painful" history, with all efforts to integrate it into the everyday life of people and institutions failing miserably. From the simple indifference to the episodic and mutual recriminations interruption of programs between Local Government Authorities and its promoters, recycling in Paphos was a case that was clearly not one of the priorities of no one in the province.
Now, this situation, which did not treat anyone's honour, has changed dramatically: One after the other local authorities attach increasing importance to recycling, promoting practical measures to integrate it into their daily lives. From the pioneer for years at the Pancyprian level Kissonerga, to municipalities that had never until recently made regular moves in this field, recycling is in the last year an integral part of everyone's calendar.
The latest example of this shift is the community of Tala. A community that having the particularity of hosting the largest number of foreign permanent residents than any other local authority nation, had already promoted the institution, since the majority of the British non-Cypriot residents were familiar with these procedures.
However, the Community Council of Tala is currently giving a new impetus to the door-to-door recycling it implements. As the president of K.S. Talas, Areti Pieridou, points out in a talk to "F", wanting to make even more residents undertake recycling, the local authority has launched a new campaign for the active participation of other residents in recycling, providing free of charge the special packaging.
"Tala was one of the first communities to implement its institution from door to door recycling", stresses Mrs. Pieridou, "which we continue uninterrupted. The collection of recyclable items is done every Monday morning by a vehicle. Wanting to encourage other residents of our community to participate in this process, the Community Council is currently offering free of charge the special bags for the separation of recyclable items. For glass packaging there are, in various parts of Tala, the well-known ''bells'' for their placement.
In a community neighbouring Tala, things are going even better with recycling: Kissonerga is, based on the official data of Green Dot, the pioneer at a pancyprian community in the effectiveness of recycling at its limits. The success of the Community Council of Kissonerga in the institution of recycling, stresses to the "F" the President of the Council, George Stylianou, is based on the ongoing campaign of enlightenment, which has successfully managed to sensitize citizens about the importance of recycling.
"The results show that the collection of recyclable materials (PMD) per inhabitant in Kissonerga exceeds 13.5 kg, compared to the rest of the Local Government, with the latter hovering around 10 kg per inhabitant," he said. "It is noted that the community of Kissonerga was one of the first local government organization in Paphos to implement door-to-door recycling five years ago."
The first in waste management issues, however, is not the only environmental peculiarity of the community of this western peri-urban area. Kissonerga has been awarded with the "Green Community of Cyprus" award in two categories by the Cyprus Centre for Environmental Research and Education (KYKPEE). In the relevant competition and evaluation carried out by the Scientific Evaluation Committee in the presence of the Commissioner for the Environment, Klelia Vassiliou and representatives of all cooperating organizations, Kissonerga received the "Green Community of Cyprus" award in two categories: Waste Management for the project "1st Community in Recycling" and Sustainable Energy Consumption for the project "1st Community in the implementation of an energy saving plan in street lighting (LED lights)".
The president of the community, George Stylianou, stated that the awarding of Kissonerga as the "Green Community of Cyprus" is very honourable for the community and its citizens, since it is the result of targeted policies and coordinated enlightenment efforts implemented by the Community Council in recent years.
Large municipalities are exemplified by small municipalities
On the subject of recycling, especially for the Pafos district, there seems to be a reversal of the rule that wants small local authorities to follow examples of large municipalities. On the contrary, in this case, it is the large Local Government Authorities of the province that are exemplified by the actions of smaller ones in order to gain themselves benefits from an institution that nowadays acquires a central role in all the countries of the developed world.
Indicative is the intense mobility that for the first time since 2020 the largest municipalities of the province, Paphos and Geroskipou, have shown in matters of consolidation of recycling among their citizens: In Paphos, an electronic platform was recently created by the municipality to promote the door-to-door collection process, while the effort is also supported by the scientific involvement of the Center for Studies "Akti". In Geroskipou, also with the assistance of the "Coast", but also with the Embassy of Israel, they proceeded since last summer to the installation of an ecological artistic installation, on the municipal beach, which functions as a huge bin for the disposal and collection of recyclable materials. It was preceded by the cooperation of the Municipality of Geroskipou and "Akti" with the placement of the "recycling fish" in the coastal area of the municipality, as well as the cooperation of the Municipality of Pafos and Medochemie for a similar facility in Kato Paphos
The Cy Recycling App
Facilities for the deposition of recyclable materials are not the only initiatives taken in Paphos in order to make a green policy more organised and systematic. For some time now, the new Recycling CY application has been in full operation, through which the citizens of Paphos can be easily and quickly informed about the day and time of collection of PMD materials (plastic bottles, containers, bags, metal packaging) and paper from their neighbourhood and home.
This is recalled by the officials of the Municipality of Pafos, on the occasion of the recent new arrangements that have been made on this issue and which, as it seems, have not yet become the property of the majority of the citizens. Citizens are reminded that they can be informed about the areas where there are battery recycling bins, as well as many other useful information, as well as that the deposition of glass objects and used clothing will now take place at the Green Point that operates in Mouttalos/Chlorakas.
The Recycling CY app provides navigation in Greek and English, while it is available free of charge from the App Store and play store.
This is yet another innovative initiative of the Municipality of Pafos, in collaboration with Green Dot Cyprus, to promote recycling and ensure an environmentally and public health friendly system for the management of municipal solid waste. The platform was created by Green Dot and AHIS Cyprus Organization.
Summary - collection from your door each Monday morning of plastics/cans, and paper/cardboard.
Glass recycling bins are situated around Tala. There are also glass recycling bins in the carparks of Papantiniou supermarkets.
Green Point, Mouttalos/Chlorakas - all recycling materials can be deposited
Tala school at bottom of Mavrovouniou [steep road that leads up to little roundabout/new church] - cage for Cans for Kids - for aluminium cans and aluminium containers - please ensure these are cleaned, straws, etc, removed, and they are bagged before they go into the cage.
