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The Greek island has a recycling rate of 80% thanks to its Just Go Zero programme
On 10 May, Minister of the Environment and Energy Kostas Skrekas visited the Greek island of Tilos to participate in the presentation of Just Go Zero: a programme that aims to create a new model of integrated solid waste management. More specifically, it seeks to maximise the recycling and recovery of materials, permanently close landfills, and transform Tilos into the world’s first green island with zero household waste.
According to the ministry, although Tilos Municipality, the Region of the Southern Aegean, and Polygreen launched Just Go Zero only several months ago in December 2021, they have already witnessed impressive results.
That is, the aforementioned bodies have placed special waste collectors in homes, businesses, and other buildings in the municipality. Taking this further, they have urged residents to sort waste into three distinct categories: Bio-waste, recyclable materials, and non-recyclable materials.
The discarded waste is then transported to another site, where the materials are divided into categories and prepared for recycling. In this way, the island has successfully increased its recycling rate to a whopping 80%.
Thanks to this programme, the municipality has not only managed to achieve a high rate of recycling but also educate its residents about the principles of the circular economy. Moreover, the island is contributing to the achievement of Greece’s 2030 target, which aims to reduce landfills to 10% and increase recycling by 60%.
“Once again the beautiful Tilos is pioneering, as it is now the island with the highest rate of recycling in the world. […] With Just Go Zero, Tilos can be a shining example for all the small islands in our country, facing major challenges in waste management due to their distance from continental Greece and the burden from the tourist flows in the summer,” Minister Skrekas shared on Facebook.
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