Condemned landfills put back into operation

Eighteen landfills that had been shut down and rehabilitated are back in operation in various parts of Greece, according to the European Commission.

According to the Commission’s Directorate-General for Environment, of the 18 landfills that are back in operation, 16 are in the Peloponnese.

However, there are still 14 landfills on the islands that should have been closed down years ago and replaced with more environmentally sustainable waste management facilities.

A recent decision by the Environment Ministry to allow passenger ferries to transport trash from islands struggling with waste management has floundered as facilities on the mainland are hesitant to take on the additional load.

Greece has already paid 51.2 million euros in fines over such landfills, with 15.1 million of that pertaining to the Peloponnese, 8.4 million to the Southern Aegean, 5 million to Central Macedonia and 3.6 million to Attica, among other regional units.