Filenews 28 January 2024 - by Angelos Nicolaou
The Department of Environment is trying to stop the phenomenon of uncontrolled waste disposal on roads and sidewalks and the creation of sources of pollution and public nuisance on the coastal front of the districts of Limassol and Paphos, after finding that there is insufficient infrastructure for proper sorting at source and separate collection of municipal solid waste.
Based on 2021 statistics, in Cyprus only 18% of municipal waste is recycled, while the percentage that ends up in landfills amounts to 78%.
The program for the reduction of solid municipal waste in coastal hotel units and near related mass waste production sites in the districts of Limassol and Pafos aims to achieve the objectives of the National Waste Management Plan 2022-2028 and the National Waste Prevention Program 2023-2029 for sorting at source and separate collection of municipal waste (recyclable, organic, hazardous).
The project examines the supply, installation, operation and maintenance of equipment for separate sorting of recyclable and organic waste in 13 municipalities of the Limassol and Paphos coastal front. These are the municipalities of Limassol and Germasogeia, as well as the communities of Agios Tychonas, Parekklisia and Moutagiaka in the Limassol district, as well as the municipalities of Paphos, Geroskipou, Pegeia, Polis Chrysochous and the community of Neo Chorio in the Paphos district.
The project's target is recycling for municipal waste of 55% by 2025, 65% by 2035, a maximum landfill limit of 10% by 2035 and separate collection and recycling of organic/bio-waste.
The Department of Environment under the Cohesion Policy Programme "THALEA" 2021-2027 with EU co-financing. and having at its disposal an amount of €10.5 million. The program promotes proper waste management with particular emphasis on the reduction, sorting at source and separate collection of solid municipal waste and the recycling/treatment of paper, PMD, glass and organic waste waste.
It proceeds with 10 specific actions, starting with the installation, training in the use and five-year maintenance of 129 paper compressors for sorting at the source of paper packaging.
The next actions that will follow, with a completion horizon until 2026, concern the operation of 110 small compressors and paper baling, 72 skip type waste bins, 78 submersible bins with controlled access system, two garbage trucks for organic vehicles with crane, six garbage trucks for organics with washing system, six vehicles with hydraulic lifting mechanism (skip loader), three trucks with a crane for loading and transporting paper, two pruning shredders, 1,100 wheeled bins with a capacity of 120 liters for organic waste, 1,000 wheeled bins with a capacity of 240 liters for organic waste, while an information, communication and education campaign will be launched.
The objectives of the project are four. First, separate collection of recyclable packaging (paper, PMD and glass) and non-packaging and organic waste paper. Second, improvement of material recovery. Thirdly, promoting high-quality recycling. Fourthly, achievement of the European targets, which are the separate collection of at least 50% of the solid waste generated in the project coverage area.
Near hotels, restaurants and cafes paper compressors
A total of 129 paper compressors will be installed in areas near hotels, restaurants and cafes, while controlled access will be made only by these businesses, through special cards or passwords. The compressors have the ability to compress packaging paper (cardboard boxes/cartons) and non-packaging paper such as newspapers, magazines, brochures and office paper.
The contract starts this month, the contract is expected to be completed in 24 months, while the agreement provides for the maintenance of the 129 paper compressors until January 2031. Estimated contract value is €2.343.985 plus VAT.
Of the 129 paper compressors, seven will be installed in Limassol Municipality, 10 in Agios Tychonas community, five in Germasogeia Municipality, three in Parekklisia community, 54 in Paphos Municipality, 23 in Geroskipou Municipality, 16 in Pegeia Municipality, six in Polis Chrysochous Municipality and five in Neo Chorio community.
Submersible buckets for glass
Actions to reduce waste and promote recycling are included in the new policy that has been developed and concerns the coastal areas in the districts of Limassol and Paphos.
Regarding the installation of 110 small compressors for paper (Balers), it is a vertical type with the ability to bale recyclable materials. Maximum bale weight of baled material is 50 kg ± 10% (cardboard), with a minimum compression force of 4 tons. The compressors have a maximum cycle time of 30 seconds. Estimated contract duration is 18 months + 60 months maintenance and estimated contract value €637.000 plus VAT. A total of 37 compressors will be installed in Limassol Municipality, five in Germasogeia Municipality, 26 in Paphos Municipality, 8 in Geroskipou Municipality, 28 in Pegeia Municipality and six in Polis Chrysochous Municipality.
Another action concerns the placement of 72 skip type waste bins with a capacity of 10 sq.m., suitable for metal collection, various packaging materials, demolition, commercial-industrial waste, pruning, etc. Estimated contract duration is 12 months + 60 months maintenance and contract value €292.000 plus VAT.
In Limassol Municipality, it is planned to install 78 submersible bins of 3 sq.m. with a controlled access system. The waste streams that will be disposed of in the bin are glass, PMD, organic and mixed. The emptying is done by lifting the inner container from a crane truck and opening its lower part. The bins have a suitable locking system for the receiver of the tower (key or card), as well as a suitable security system to avoid accidents during its emptying. Estimated Contract Duration is 18 months + 60 months maintenance with €975.000 plus VAT.
In the district of Limassol it is planned to supply two garbage trucks with a crane equipped with a waste weight recording system and a washing system, while in the district of Pegeia six garbage trucks for organics with an integrated washing system. Garbage trucks have the ability to lift and empty submersible bins. Estimated contract duration is 22 months and contract value €2.060.000 plus VAT.
In the Limassol district, two pruning shredding machines will be installed for crushing green materials e.g. leaves, branches, trunks and roots of trees with a diameter of at least 180 mm. Contract duration is 10 months and the contract value is €64.474 plus VAT.
