Filenews 27 August 2025 - by Vasos Vassiliou
From furniture to books, which some received from Green Spots and which, theoretically, they would use themselves, were found to be offered for sale on two well-known websites on the internet.
Those who were and still are engaged in the above practice, appeared as people who needed for their homes, e.g. some furniture which, as they assured, due to financial difficulties, they could not buy from the bazaar and so they managed to get it for free from Green Points. It is worth noting that some people went up to twice a week to the same Green Spot and entered the large baskets (skips) collecting objects and various materials.
The specific cases were of concern to those responsible for the Green Points, who examined ways to prevent the phenomenon.
However, in Nicosia, two of the eight Green Spots that operate have been designated as places where a citizen can turn to be given furniture or other items and some control is exercised so that some people do not go too far and take, for example, 5-6 sofas, supposedly for their home. These points are located in Malounta and Linou and an effort is being made to better organize them, with the formation of special pick-up areas.
Something else that concerns the competent authorities is the attempt of professionals to transport materials resulting from the dismantling of structures for which they are even paid by their customers. However, instead of transporting them to licensed recycling units, they transport them to Green Points in order to save transport costs (especially when the units are far away) as well as the fees imposed by these units. Other professionals recommend that their customers transport the waste generated by renovations and so on and tell the Green Spot employee that they have carried out the work, dismantling etc., so that the professional does not have to pay the tariffs imposed by the specialized units.
After all, some people mainly exploit the elderly when their trees are pruned or when their grass is cut etc., telling them that they have to pay for the transport to the Green Point. The citizens pay and the professional transports the waste to a Green Point and is left with the money which, theoretically, he pays for recycling. The issue was noticed when grandparents called in order to complain about high charges allegedly imposed by the Green Point. When they were informed by employees that they were not charging anything, those affected fell from the clouds.
Something that concerns the people in charge of the Green Points is also whether it is appropriate to give citizens electrical items that they request, in the sense that they may prove to be dangerous, e.g. when they have a loss of electricity, etc. Besides, as it is established, some people remove compressors from refrigerators or anything related to metal from air conditioners, in order to sell them.
As far as showers, toilets, etc. are concerned, they are accepted, but one cannot carry more than 100 kilos at a time, nor can their weight exceed one ton per six months. Some professionals attempt to transport 100 kilos a day in order to gradually be able to carry all the materials they have left from the tasks they perform.
