Paphos People

A new map of the island shows it drowning in illegal tipping sites. ALIX NORMAN speaks to its creator, and finds the entire country is being poisoned

In terms of waste generation, Cyprus ranks 7th in Europe: every islander produces 609 kilos of rubbish per year, well above the continental average of 517 kilos.

The good news is that we’ve actually managed to decrease our wasteful habits: a decade ago, Cyprus was in third position (just behind Denmark and Switzerland). But the Very Bad News is that this rubbish is mounting too rapidly to be dealt with. In effect, Cyprus is becoming the island not of love, but of trash.

Various municipalities are attempting to address the issue, most notably Aglangia, which has pioneered the EU’s pay-as-you-throw initiative. Lifting the annual waste management charge, the municipality now requires residents to purchase specific bags (at a cost of €2 each) to dispose of non-recyclable trash. In theory, it’s a great idea. In practice, it’s not working: almost 20 per cent of municipality residents have already been contacted for failure to comply; thousands more have resorted to fly-tipping their trash; and the mayor has gone on record stating that people “do not respect the place they live in.”

“This,” says Andreas Yiannaki, “is an indicator of the problem. We live in what was once a Mediterranean paradise: a place whose scenery draws visitors in their millions. And yet, each year, our landscapes and seascapes are being desecrated by trash – everywhere you go there seems to be an unofficial, illegal dump.”

Full story:-https://cyprus-mail.com/2023/05/29/trash-talking-cyprus-drowning-in-rubbish/

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Dave
Moira And Dave

“I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.”

It is very sad there are so many people who are just too lazy to sort their rubbish correctly , yes it does take time , yes you do need to take some rubbish to the local green point or dump occasionally or pay someone to do it for you. What would ease matters is a reduction in single use packaging . Putting a deposit on plastic drinks bottles so you return them to a machine and get a refund , no this isnt a fairy story , this system is up and running and working in atleast 2 or 3 European countries.
I believe there are too many who keep their italian designer bathrooms immaculate and keep their late model suv cleaned and polished but solong as their view from the patio is nice then never mind the rubbish ! Its not their problem ! Also there is some new rule that prevents or makes impractical the scrap metal men from picking up white goods especially fridges , so now they get fly tipped ? Frustrating huh !
I dont know the answer . A new thing in Chloraka is for bags of old clothes to be ripped open on the street , clothes thrown everywhere and just left ! Bloody Neanderthals!