Green Dot Cyprus
Cyprus
The role of the organisation is to develop recycling initiatives with the Local Authorities and also to recover Commercial and Industrial Packaging to cover the responsibilities for packaging recovery and recycling its members, in the most environmental and economic efficient way.
The work of the organisation has been very instrumental in improving the recycling performance of the country and, the system has been achieving its recovery and recycling targets since 2010 and thereafter.
System Description
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Green Dot Cyprus is the first collective recycling system approved in Cyprus and is a non-profit organization.
It was established based on the Packaging Law and Packaging Waste Law N32 (I) / 2002, which determines the responsibility of companies for the recovery and recycling of packaging that they place on the market. It was licensed on August 1, 2006, as a packaging management system and serves more than 82% of the population of Cyprus.
At the initiative of the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry and following the enactment of the Packaging Law, in 2004, 30 large companies joined forces and set-up Green Dot Cyprus which began operations in mid 2005. The organisation was accredited by the authorities in 2006 and immediately begun recovery of Commercial/Industrial packaging. The first projects for the recovery of Household packaging begun in 5 municipalities in February 2007.
The organisation is owned by fillers, packers, retailers, distributors, raw material and packaging manufacturers and its’ by Law, registered as a not-for-profit organisation. The organisation decision making bodies consist of the Shareholders Meeting, the Board of Directors with 9 members and an Executive Committee of 4 members.
The organisation also undertook to set-up and manage two other collective systems of behalf of the industry. One for the management of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (Electrocyclosis) and one for the management of batteries (AFIS).
The organisation employs 17 people, while the collection, sorting and material trading operations are performed by a network of waste operators (contractors). Overall in the network of operators, another 200 people are employed for the projects of the organisation.
Communication activities
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Green Dot Cyprus has deployed a large number of communication activities to promote sorting at source and selective collection of packaging waste. The recycling results of Cyprus in the last 6 years have been delivered due to the Green Dot Cyprus campaigns and the sensitisation of people, since sorting at source in still voluntary and there are no financial incentives for people to recycle. Among the most important initiatives, are the following:
- Green Dot Cyprus has deployed three large communication campaigns (with duration of 2 years each), with three main messages. The first was aimed to inform people on WHAT to do (sort) (quantity), the second to inform them HOW to do it better (quality) and the third, WHY to do it (consolidation). The campaigns included over time all the basic media for above the line communication (TV, radio, print, internet) and numerous below the line activities including fairs, festivals, local authority events, e.t.c..
- One of the organisations’ biggest educational programs involves the school children. Representatives have visited all the schools and organised recycling days, around the island. In the last 2 years the organisation has developed full educational kits with the support of the Ministry of Education and has equipped all the teachers at Elementary and High schools with the necessary material to teach environmental behaviour and recycling. In 2013, the organisation plans to launch an equivalent kit for kindergarten teachers.
- In the last years Green Dot Cyprus has developed its internet campaigns by modernising its websites, engaging in social media and through the development of interactive recycling games. The latest addition is a mobile application to inform people about recycling programs on their mobile devices.
Green Dot Cyprus has also developed a recycling voluntary group called “Green Team” which has now more than 2,000 members (mainly youngsters). The volunteers undertake to communicate the recycling messages to their neighbours and cover at least 20 households each, per year.
Prevention
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Prior to the launch of Green Dot in 2007, all waste was treated as rubbish and dumped in landfills. Cyprus was at the bottom of the European Union’s recycling table. Today the situation is much better. With overall effort, Cyprus can and should become a model country in the management of Municipal Waste, even with the difficulties it faces as an island.
Better waste management requires
- Prevention: Do not create waste.
- Reduction: reduce waste and overconsumption.
- Reuse: find creative ways to reuse products.
- Recycle: recycle all packaging from plastic, metal, paper, glass and wood.
- Energy Recovery: The waste is sent for energy recovery.
- Final Disposal: Only 10% of the waste remains for final burial.
Municipal waste production in Cyprus is high:
| WASTE | QUANTITIES (tones) |
|---|---|
| Organic | 250.000 |
| Recyclable packaging | 120.000 |
| Green (pruning etc.) | 50.000 |
| Rubbish | 130.000 |
| TOTAL | 550.000 |
Green Dot ‘s primary responsibility lies with the management of recyclable packaging.
Contact
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Green Dot (Cyprus) Public Co Ltd
229 Tseriou Avenue, 2047 Strovolos, Nicosia
P.O.Box 25463 1310 Nicosia
CYPRUS
Phone: +357 22 586020
Fax:+357 22 586001
E-mail: admin@greendot.com.cy
Web: www.greendot.com.cy