Saturday, December 7, 2024

PAY AS YOU THROW - WHICH AREAS WILL START IN 2025 [Anarita in Paphos]

 Filenews 7 December 2024 - by Angelos Nicolaou



As of January 2025, the Pay As You  Throw (PDO) system with a prepaid bag will be fully implemented by the Municipality of Aradippou and will gradually be implemented on a nationwide basis until 2026. In accordance with the obligations of the Republic of Cyprus towards the EU, the official date of implementation of the PDO was 1 July 2024. This is a legal obligation of the Local Government Authorities (ATA) and therefore it is the only way to proceed with the implementation of the system that affects citizens, businesses and large and special producers.

According to relevant studies, an average household that implements the system correctly is not expected to need more than one prepaid bag of 56 liters per week. This is the bag that is currently placed in large bins by households. The pricing of the 56 liter prepaid bag is estimated at €2.02, the 35 liters at €1.26 and the 10 liters at €0.36. The 35 liter bag is the usual one for the kitchen and the 10 liter bag for the toilet and office.

It is noted that the pricing of the prepaid bag for the three sizes has been decided with a uniform application on a pancyprian basis by the Department of Environment in consultation with the National Technical University of Athens. The prepaid bag will end up with the actual amount of waste that cannot be reduced, reused and recycled, i.e. it concerns only residual waste.

It is emphasized that the use of other bags for residual waste without proper labelling will not be accepted and will not be collected. Furthermore, it is stated that in the context of the proper functioning of the PDO system, it is planned to strengthen controls through inspectors who will be appointed by the respective Local Government Authorities. If it is found that households and businesses are using incorrect bags to collect residual waste, recommendations will initially be made and an out-of-court fine will then be issued. In the case of apartment buildings, communication will be made with the Management Committee.

The prepaid bags will be sold at selected points of disposal of each Local Government Authority, such as ATA building, supermarkets, petrol stations, vending machines, public or community spaces, etc. In case of ownership of a household or premises other than permanent residence, the purchase of prepaid bags or bins is applied on the basis of the PDO system applied by ATA in this area.

The implementation of the Pay as You Throw system follows the waste management method Sorting at Source, i.e. the separation of distinct waste streams at the site where they are produced, in order to then carry out their separate collection and subsequent management of organic and recyclable materials, with the ultimate goal of contributing effectively to the reduction of waste landfill.

It is noted that in the waste tax, in addition to the prepaid bag for determining the pricing policy, there will be a fixed fee of around €80 per household at least during the first years of implementation of the system. The split of the charge includes a fixed fee corresponding to 40% and the floating charge with a prepaid bag to the remaining 60%.

Key actors for the implementation and successful implementation of the system are both citizens regarding waste sorting at source and Local Government Authorities (Municipalities, Communities) regarding the separate collection of municipal solid waste.

In particular, Local Government Authorities implement and implement, within their administrative boundaries, either separately or in cooperation with other Municipalities and/or Community Service Clusters, a system of mandatory sorting at source and separate collection for: Organic kitchen and restaurant waste, Organic garden and park waste, Paper and cardboard and paper and cardboard packaging, Glass and glass packaging, Plastic and plastic packaging, Metal and metal packaging, Wood packaging, Synthetic packaging, Textile products, in particular clothes, textiles and textile packaging, Electrical and electronic household equipment, Batteries and Bulky waste and bulky items for reuse and mixed municipal waste.

In this context, funding of €25 million has been secured from the Cohesion Policy Programme "THALEIA 2021-2027" with the co-financing of the European Union, in order for Local Authorities to be techno-financially supported for the effective implementation of this new strategic policy.

New Year's Day the Municipality of Aradippou in mid-'25 Municipalities of Nicosia move on

The Municipality of Aradippou, which includes the Communities of Troulloi, Kellion and Koshi, is considered a pilot Municipality and the implementation of the PDO system is expected to help the rest of the Municipalities and Community Complexes. The PDO system started on 1/11/2024 with the collection and transport of organic waste and on 1/1/2025 it will be implemented universally. The implementation of the PDO is expected in 12 Municipalities and 9 Community Complexes in 2025 and 7 Municipalities and 21 Community Complexes in 2026.

The implementation of the PDO system in the Municipalities of Latsia-Geri, Lakatamia-Tseri, South Nicosia-Dali and the Nicosia A Community Complex is scheduled for July 2025, under the coordination of the Nicosia Development Agency (ANEL). The implementation of the PDO system in the Municipalities of Nicosia, Strovolos and Kourion is scheduled for the end of 2025.

Within 2025, the Municipalities of Lakatamia-Tseri, Latsia-Geri, South Nicosia-Dali, Nicosia, Strovolos, Limassol, Amathus, Polemidia, Kourion, Larnaka, Athienou, Paralimni as well as the Communities Clusters of Nicosia A (Agia Varvara), Nicosia Th (Kato Pyrgos), Larnaka A (Xylotymbou), Larnaka C (Pyrga), Larnaka D (Kato Drys), Pyla, Limassol E (Pissouri), Limassol (Kato Mylos), Paphos E (Anarita) are expected to start. In 2026, the remaining Municipalities and Community Clusters are expected to start.

Reasons for delay in implementing the PDO system

According to the Department of Environment, any delay in the implementation of the PDO system is mainly due to factors such as the following:

• Difficulty and reticence in the announcement of mini-tenders by ATA and late submission of data by ATA to designers, which led to non-compliance with contract schedules.

• Different way of pricing garbage by Municipalities (rubbish with cleaning services) and Communities (rubbish without cleaning services).

• The coincidence of the same date (1/7/2024) for the reform of Local Government and the implementation of the PDO, caused a data delay due to the changes promoted in this reform.

• Combination with the election campaign in the municipal and community elections from January 2024 to June 2024, as well as the changes in the composition of Municipalities and Community Complexes, caused a delay and a requirement for adaptation time.

• Financial difficulty in paying for the Studies and later in the implementation of the PDO system by some ATA. To date, payments have been made by the Department of Environment to ATA for the Sustainability Documentation Studies of the PDO, for those Municipalities and Community Complexes that have signed the Contracts for the preparation of these Studies.