Cyprus and, by extension, taxpayers will find themselves in a difficult situation when the EU notices what we’re not doing regarding the recycling of materials, argues Green Party Member of Parliament Charalambos Theopemptou.
At the same time, he warns that because not all households in some communities will be charged for waste collection, waste management will become economically unfeasible when the “pay as you throw” system is implemented.
Additionally, several citizens who were willing to comply with the directive and pay lower fees will be forced to continue paying higher fees until the “pay as you throw” system is implemented.
As Theopemptou explains, the recycling and recovery targets we were supposed to achieve by 2020 for household waste were 50%, and for construction and demolition waste, it was 70%.
He also notes that we were obligated last December to start a separate collection of organic waste (kitchen scraps, fruit and vegetable remains, grass, etc.).
Furthermore, Theopemptou states that Cyprus’s new target for urban waste recycling by 2025 is to recycle at least 55% of urban waste by weight.
By 2030, this target is to reach 60%, and by 2035, 65%.
The following problems have been identified in Cyprus regarding the implementation of such systems:
A) Currently, all households pay for waste collection regardless of whether they have permanent residents or not. Therefore, in small communities especially, where many houses are vacant, income for waste management will dramatically decrease, making it economically unviable. Hence, waste collection needs to be done in large complexes or large bins need to be placed rather than collecting from individual homes.
B) Part of the money we pay through the fixed annual charge of approximately €180 was also used for street cleaning and all public areas’ cleanliness, which is why a special provision was included in the waste law.
Theopemptou mentions that all these were known beyond six years, which is why €25 million was allocated to the Recovery Fund, and (based on legislation) Local Authorities were given until the end of 2023 to prepare for the implementation of the system to start across Cyprus in July 2024.
Unfortunately, as Theopemptou observes, only three municipalities will start by the end of 2024 according to available information.
The remaining Local Authorities will need up to two years to comply, so they intend to submit an amendment for all property owners/tenants to pay a fixed annual amount of €180.
“We are constantly missing the targets of the Directive, and I don’t feel that anyone really cares to plan properly in advance,” concludes Theopemptou.
