Cyprus is obliged, under a European Directive, to promote the sorting of waste at source, nonetheless what it is currently happening on the island is the recycle of PMD materials, glass and paper, MP of the Green Party-Citizens Cooperation Charalambos Theopemptou says.

He also points out that Cyprus lags far behind in the separation of domestic waste, saying that it is very important for people to learn how to reuse products and reduce their waste.

Theopemptou, former Environment Commissioner, has told CNA in an interview that sorting waste at source and better management of domestic waste will result in huge benefits for the environment and the citizens.

According to EU Directive 98/2008, all EU member states should promote the sorting at source while at the same time instructions for the so-called biodegradable waste are also set out to encourage the public to sort at home as many materials as possible.

Theopemptou said that the households in Cyprus separate only the PMD materials (plastic containers, metal, juice and milk cartons), glass and paper but they should really start separating all the organic waste as well, ie kitchen waste, anything edible that was once alive, plant or animal. He explained that all these degrades in nature and they should be separated as well.

The MP said that what is really needed is a separate bin in the kitchen where people can place their waste such as meat and spaghetti leftovers or any other cooked food which now ends up with the remaining waste.

The organice waste, if separated at home, could then be collected and taken to specialized units which follow a pasteurization process. The material, Theopemptou explains, can go through this process and then can enter the digesters. There, the material is not mixed but it goes through a process using anaerobic conditions because it is sealed.

When this process is over, methane and other gases are produced, which generate electricity whereas the remaining material becomes compost of very good quality, he explained.

Asked why Cyprus does not promote these units and does not try to raise awareness among the public to ensure that sorting at source becomes a daily routine, Theopemptou said that the country has a huge issue with waste that end up in landfills and although there has been investigation recently about an alleged scandal with the country`s landfill units, the state does not proceed with changing its policy and strategy.

He expressed his disagreement with the construction of big factories for the separation of waste, pointing out that “we should promote the construction of many small units instead.”

As Theopemptou has told CNA, the waste end up in landfills like the one in Koshi village, in Nicosia district where certain materials are separated (plastic, aluminium, tins etc) but the leftovers, such as soiled paper, drugs etc, do not go through any process and thus “we do not know what to do with it.” Theopemptou said that the solution is to burn it but this requires huge amounts of money because a furnace needs to be set up.

“We could have avoided spending such big sums of money by promoting the simple method of sorting at source and composting in small units. This translates into enormous benefits for the environment, production of energy and the generation of jobs in the whole of Cyprus,” he explained.

Theopemptou said that Cyprus has the right legislation, but it is not applied. He said that there is a provision in the legislation according to which recycle should have been mandatory since 2015, however this was never implemented.

He also referred to issues related to the management of green waste. Prunings from houses, gardens and parks are not taken to units to go through the composting method but are thrown away or deposited in fields and open spaces.

According to Theopemptou, the EU Environment DG has advised Cyprus that it is not too late to change its policy as regards the management of domestic waste. He maintains that Cyprus insists on building large plants and has persuaded the EU that unique conditions apply to the country, which should be treated as an exemption.

He expressed the view that things can change if one starts campaigning for the need to sort the waste at source and educate people why separating their kitchen waste will benefit them at the end of the day. Theopemptou said that the amounts of waste could be reduced significantly and green waste can become compost.

He said that Cyprus could follow the example of other countries which have designated small places in each neighbourhood where people can place their green waste (grass, prunings etc). These places are really small to avoid clutter and keep the neighbourhood tidy and clean.

Theopemptou also referred to issues related to the operation of many landfills without proper control, where people just throw everything, harming the environment and causing safety concerns.

The MP of the Cyprus Greens said that while the management of waste as a whole should have been under the umbrella of the Environment Ministry, the Interior Ministry is in control instead, and according to him it lacks the expertise to deal with such matters.

Asked about the incentives which could lead people to sorting their waste at source, Theopemptou said that it should not be a hard task, adding that studies have shown that citizens themselves are very efficient in recycling and only recycle good quality materials. He said that abroad, all recyclable materials (including kitchen waste) is collected for free but a charge is applied on the plastic bags where mixed waste is placed. Theopemptou said that if the fee is quite high, then people would think twice and they would try to recycle as much as possible. Thus the amounts of their mixed waste would be drastically reduced.

Asked about a device placed recently in the coastal town of Larnaka, by popular Mackenzie beach where people can place PMD material and in return they get coupons for parking, Theopemptou said that this is an excellent idea but only for promotional purposes because these machines are very expensive. He said that similar machines operate abroad, usually outside supermarkets, where people can place their recycled tins, paper etc and in return they get points on their promotion supermarket card.

The MP told CNA that as regards the recycle of electrical and electronic appliances, Cyprus is at very good levels and the job done is quite good. He said however that the main problem is that people do not know that most shops collect old appliances or that when they buy a new one, the company is obliged, by law, to collect the old one. Almost all shops in Cyprus have gray bins where customers can place their old appliances. Same goes for CYTA (the Cyprus Telecommunications Authority) which collects old phones for free.

Theopemptou pointed out that what is of great importance is for people to learn how to reuse products and to reduce the volumes of their waste. There must be management, he said and people should take measures in order not to create waste. He said that so called repair cafes should operate where people can take their old appliances and get them fixed at low cost, or give them away to others who might need them. Same applies to antique shops and shops which collect old and used products.

The Cypriot MP said that the reuse network is a necessity and can help a great deal in reducing the amounts of various objects which are thrown away or placed in empty fields such as old furniture, TVs etc.

He said that “we need to advertise and promote this idea because the reduction and reuse of material is of great importance in the management of our waste and the recycle process.”

Theopemptou said that the Municipalities could start some kind of cooperation with companies which collect old material and promote this idea so that they can prevent littering of empty fields in many neighbourhoods.