Ministry plan foresees ‘green corners’ to boost recycling
The Environment Ministry has drafted a plan, to be implemented by local authorities, that aims to boost lagging waste recycling in Greece by creating “green corners and areas” in cities and the countryside.
Local authorities across the country have already incorporated the scheme into their own plans and European Union funding for the project has been secured, Kathimerini understands.
The next step is for the required areas to be designated, in line with a list of specifications issued by the ministry.
The ministry’s plan foresees the creation of “green corners and areas.”
The “green corners” will be small plots, covering up to 50 square meters, to be set up inside public parks or squares or in the common areas of large enterprises, schools and malls. These corners could accommodate a series of dumpsters for the collection of recyclable materials including glass, metal and paper.
The “green areas” outlined in the ministry’s plan would be larger plots, covering up to 1,000 square meters, where recyclable materials could also be left for collection but in greater volumes – up to 200 tons of waste in urban areas and up to 1,000 tons in non-urban areas.
The ministry’s plan also foresees the creation of new recycling centers, on plots of 500 square meters or more.
Finding the appropriate locations for the plots is unlikely to be a swift affair for local authorities, with sources indicating that the process will take two or three years.
