By the end of 2024, Cyprus is set to revolutionise its waste management system by introducing the “Pay As You Throw” (PAYT) scheme, covering 67% of its population, the Department of Environment announced.
The scheme, kicking off on July 1, aims to financially incentivise waste reduction and recycling among residents.
The first wave will see six municipalities, representing 30% of Cyprus’s populace, embrace PAYT by March following the completion of preparatory studies.
These studies will establish the pricing for waste bags for both individual households and multi-dwelling units, as well as set the rates for waste bins and a fixed charge that will be levied on all residents.
Senior Environmental Officer, Eleni Constantinidou, highlighted that the municipalities of Latsia, Lakatamia, a conglomerate in Nicosia including Ayia Varvara, south Nicosia, Aradippou, Larnaca, East Limassol, and Polemidia are at the forefront of this initiative.
Further, by June 2024, extensive studies for the Municipalities of Nicosia, west Limassol, and Limassol, which account for an additional 37% of the population, are expected to be completed.
The subsequent summer to September 2024 will see nine more municipal clusters, making up 21.5% of the population, finalise their consultations.
An additional 11.15% of the population will enter the final consultation phase in November 2024. Following these studies, municipalities will have a six-month grace period to implement the PAYT system fully.
Preliminary pricing based on the Aradippou Municipality study suggests a charge of 6 cents per litre for waste bags, translating to 60 cents for a 10-litre bag, 2 euros for a 35-litre bag, and 3.33 euros for a 56-litre bag.
However, not all municipalities have yet submitted their pricing structures based on their respective studies.
It’s also been clarified that the final fixed fee, determined by the Department of Environment and the Ministry of Finance, will encompass both waste and cleanliness charges.
By June 30, 2024, local authorities are mandated to implement a compulsory waste separation at the source and separate collection system for recyclables (paper, glass, plastic, metals), wood and composite packaging, textile products, waste electrical and electronic equipment, batteries, and bulky waste.
Recycling targets are ambitious, aiming for a 50% to 55% recycling rate for plastics by 2025 to 2030, 25% to 30% for wood, 70% to 80% for ferrous metals, 50% to 60% for aluminium, 70% to 75% for glass, and 75% to 85% for paper and cardboard.
Environmental data from 2021 revealed a per capita waste production of 633 kg, with packaging waste recycling at 65% and organic waste (green garden waste) used for compost production at a mere 1.2%.
The overall recycling and reuse rate stood at 15.3%, with 62% of municipal waste ending up in sanitary landfills.
Concern in House Environment Committee
The House Environment Committee recently discussed the PAYT programme’s progress, raising concerns about the fixed charge’s impact on households.
Committee Chairman Charalambos Theopemptou expressed doubts about the likelihood of amending legislation to establish a fixed charge being passed. He warned that failure to meet European directives could lead to legal consequences and penalties for Cyprus.
Theopemptou also underscored the need for improved organic waste management, suggesting each household should have a dedicated bin for food waste, destined for composting or biogas production for energy. He noted the existence of more than ten anaerobic digestion units, primarily in livestock units, where biogas is converted into electricity.
However, he lamented the stalled progress in expanding such units, particularly highlighting the absence of such facilities in Paphos and the suboptimal solution of automatic composters in mountain regions.
The push for renewable energy sources like biogas was emphasised as crucial, given its independence from weather conditions, unlike solar or wind energy.
Theopemptou voiced additional concerns regarding waste separation in apartment buildings and the practical implementation of such systems.
The European directive on waste
The European directive’s requirements loom large, setting a target for at least 55% of urban waste to be recycled by 2025, increasing to 60% by 2030 and 65% by 2035.
The directive mandates a separate collection of textiles and hazardous household waste by January 1, 2025, and ensures biological waste is either separately collected or recycled at the source by December 31, 2023.
Read more:
