The Greek island of Tilos implements the Just Go Zero waste management program, which allows the community to dispose of 86% of its waste through a sorting and recycling system, an example of how to reduce the negative impact on the environment at the local level.
It is the first island in the world where landfilling of garbage has been canceled, and Tilos has completely switched to green electricity, reports Balkan Green Energy News.
Just Go Zero is a circular economy pilot project in Greece.
Municipal waste management on the island begins with sorting at the source, in homes and offices. Every household on the island of Tilos participates in the Just Go Zero program by sorting household waste into recyclable materials, non-recyclable materials, and bio-waste.
Waste is a resource, not garbage
A new waste management and recycling program in Tilos started in December with a company called Polygreen. The municipal waste recycling rate has since reached 86%.The local authority removed all public dustbins.
All 350 households on the island, the municipality, and businesses participate in the Just Go Zero program. Island residents received unique waste selection bags with a QR code. Citizens can monitor their contribution to the zero waste initiative on a mobile application.
The selected waste is collected door-to-door on certain days of the week. The activity is more intensive in the summer when there are many tourists around. Every hotel on the island sorts waste.
Municipal waste is delivered to the island’s circular innovation centre, built on the former landfill site. In the facility, waste is sorted and prepared for recycling, composting, or sent for incineration.
Polygreen argues that such an initiative can be implemented on any other island, in the local community, city, or state. Company works on integrated and innovative circular economy solutions. It is negotiating with ten other local administrations of Greece about the implementation of such projects.
Autonomous energy island
Tilos is located north of Rhodes in the Aegean Sea. A little more than 500 people live on the island, and more than 13 thousand tourists visit it every year. The island covers almost 100% of its energy needs from renewable sources and is completely energy self-sufficient.
The first hybrid power plant in Greece was built in Tilos. Electricity from wind and solar generators is stored in batteries.
All of these programs involve close cooperation between local authorities, businesses and residents who have changed and adapted their habits and daily life to community initiatives.
“The island has become a green spot in the Mediterranean thanks to innovative enterprises in the implementation of RES and municipal waste management. These initiatives are a good example of how to reduce the negative impact on the environment at the local level," the article noted.
Earlier, EcoPolitic wrote, that Spanish company La Hormiga Verde repairs old electronics every year, disassembles them into components for resale and creates furniture from this waste, recycling 99.5% electronic waste.
As EcoPolitic reported earlier, Singapore reduce the amount of food waste by redistributing food.
