Filenews 4 August 2025 - by Vasos Vassiliou
The illegal garbage dumps, small and large, may exceed 1,000 and are sources of possible fires, but there are also the legal ones in which thousands of citizens find refuge by disposing of useless objects at no cost, while protecting nature.
The reason for the "Green Spots" which are not so green in the sense that, in addition to pruning, citizens can throw away old furniture or wood that comes from them, washing machines, refrigerators, computers, plastics, even showers or some construction debris, metals, glasses and other objects.
In other words, citizens can take to the Green Spots everything that exists in their home.
Of course, there are also objects/materials that are not accepted, but citizens can contact the people in charge of the green points for the purposes of communication/information so as not to unfairly carry various useless items or they can transport anything they have there during the inspection of their vehicle, they will be greeted by what is received and what is not.
The question that arises is why do some citizens choose to dispose of objects literally "wherever they reach" and often at greater distances than the green spots, and even at the risk of being detected and suffering the consequences of the illegality to which they fall?
Is this behaviour due to ignorance? Is it a matter of better information? Is it a matter of mentality?
However, as the president of the Nicosia District Authority (EOA) Mr. Konstantinos Yiorkadzis, informs us, there are eight Green Spots especially in the Nicosia district. As he explains, the Green Spots are located in Strovolos, Alhambra, Kokkinotrimithia, Ergates, Malounta, Astromeriti, Peristerona and Linos.
Mr . Yiorkadzis also mentions that plans are being prepared for another 5 Green Points which will be formed in Geri, Lakatamia, Aglantzia, Engomi and Pyrgos.
In addition to these, an expansion of the Green Point of Alhambra is also planned for the shredding of materials.
As the president of the EDA explains, the Green Spots receive various types of household streams, of which 55% concern pruning, followed by bulky waste, electrical and electronic devices and others.
Responding to a relevant question, Mr. Yiorkadzis mentions that for the EDA of Nicosia, it is crucial to provide important services of the Green Points, helping with recycling and the environment.
The goal, he adds, is to make the Green Points places for the reuse of materials, something that is already happening at the Malounta and Linous points.
Through the Green Points, continues Mr. Yiorkadzis, we have started the operation of two shredders that will cover the Nicosia District and through the green waste farmers are given the opportunity to use the ground waste as soil conditioner.
According to Mr. Yiorkadzis, in this way the problem of pruning in the Nicosia District will be solved.
And Mr. Yiorkadzis added:
"As an EDA, we are in the process of building the Structure, since, as you know, its approval was delayed. Once the Organization is staffed, the Green Points (which today continue to operate under the umbrella of the Nicosia-ANEL Development Company) will operate with our own Structure".
We visited the green spot of Strovolos (near Leroy merlin) and watched for a while the process of origin of the citizens and the receipt of the various materials. The employee is quite polite, but where some materials are not accepted, there is no room for bargaining.
The receptionist guides the driver to the exact point he can leave the materials he is carrying, and that is it.
Citizens must bear in mind that it is their responsibility to unload the materials they transport, as well as to dump them at the point indicated to them.
The transportation of materials to the Green Points helps to limit the points of uncontrolled abandonment of useless materials, so that the citizen with his action to transport the useless materials, indirectly participates in the protection of the environment.
The materials of the Green Points are transferred to special management units, which also limits the impact on the environment, the ugliness that we all notice, while also limiting the risks of causing fires.
