This is a presentation of Aida Anthouli, Communication & Environmental Manager of D-Waste. It was first presented during the Workshop of HSWMA - SeSWA - ISWA: “Opportunities and barriers of Recycling in Balkan-Countries” which was held at the Technical University of Athens, Greece on November 30, 2012. The presentation focuses on the accomplishments, opportunities and barriers of waste recycling in Greece.

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3. This presentation is based on a HSWMA’s report presented during the Workshop
HSWMA - SeSWA - ISWA: “Opportunities and barriers of Recycling in Balkan-
Countries”, 30th November 2012, Athens, Greece, by A. Anthouli and R.
Charitopoulou
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4. Contents
• Introduction
• Recycling in EU
• Recycling in Greece
 Legislation
 Current situation
 Challenges
 Stakeholders
 Recycling Systems
• Recommendations
• Conclusions
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5. 5
Recycling in EU
The long-term goal is for the
EU to become a recycling
society, that seeks to avoid
waste and uses waste as a
resource. (Them. Strategy)

6. Thematic Strategy on Waste Prevention & Recycling, 2005
framework
Waste Framework
Directive Waste Shipment
(Includes Municipal & Construction Regulation
Demolition waste)
treatment
Incineration Directive Landfill Directive Recycling Standards
(future)
streams
WEEE &
Packaging Batteries Mining Sewage PCB/
Restriction Vehicles
waste Sludge PCT
of use
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with targets
6

7. EU Waste hierarchy
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8. Trends in Generation of Municipal Waste in Europe
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9. Trends in Generation of Municipal Waste in Europe
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10. Europe - An overweight “lady”
• Average annual use of material resources -
around 16 tons/person.
• Overall trend in waste generation, including
hazardous waste, is upwards.
• Total waste generation in EU-27, Turkey, Norway,
Iceland, Croatia: 3 billion tons (2006)
• Total hazardous waste generation: 88 million
tons (2006)
• Total municipal waste generation: 260 million
tons (2008)
• 524 kg/cap municipal waste generation (2008), large
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differences between countries
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11. 11
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
EU (27 countries)
24%
Belgium
37%
Bulgaria
0%
Czech Republic
14%
Denmark
23%
Germany
45%
Estonia
12%
Ireland
32%
Greece
17%
Spain
France 15%
18%
Italy
20%
Cyprus
16%
Latvia
9%
Lithuania
3%
2010
Luxembourg
26%
Hungary
18%
Malta
7%
Netherlands
28%
Austria
30%
Poland
15%
Portugal
11%
Romania
1%
Slovenia
43%
Slovakia
4%
Finland
20%
Sweden
36%
United Kingdom
25%
Norway
Source: Eurostat, (2012a)
27%
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Switzerland
34%
Croatia
3%
Recycling performance in Europe (% of the total MSW generated)

12. Total turnover of recycling in the EU
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13. Recycling - key element in the Green Economy
• Less use of virgin materials - opportunity for
decoupling of material use from economic growth,
• Resources are kept in a close-loop process
(represents a more circular instead of a linear economy,
where resources are depleted & wasted)
• Less use of virgin non-renewable resources.
• EU maintains secure supplies of rare or precious
metals that are necessary for the production of new
technologies, (ex. e-mobility, information &
communication technologies & renewable energy),
• Creation of green jobs.
301,000 people employed in recycling sector in 13
EU(2007) vs 174,000 (2000).
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14. Recycling in the era of Globalisation & interconnectivity
• Increased demand on materials
• Illegal shipping of waste, & poor
environmental framework
• Immigration & scavengers
• Increase of global environmental
awareness & international treaties
• Human & international networks
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15. 15
Recycling in Greece

16. Legislation & Policy framework
• Greece is a full member of the EU & has to adjust its
legislative framework to comply with the European
legislation.
• To a large extent, European legislation is
incorporated well to the national law & the legislative
framework for waste management can be considered
sufficient & well elaborated.
“Problems usually arise at the level of implementation”
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17. Municipal waste in Greece by treatment
Municipal waste in Greece by treatment
500
450
400
Recycling and
350 composted
kg per capita
300 Incinerated
250
Landfilled
200
150
100
50
0
2004 2006 2008 2010
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Source: Eurostat, 2012
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18. Current situation
• Collection coverage reaches 100 %
• Generation of MSW was increasing, until 2009.
Currently, a significant decrease in generation per
capita. (around 20%, due to financial crisis).
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19. • 28 Materials Recovery
Facilities (covering 80% of
population) - export of
sorted recyclables due to
limited capacity
• 79 compliant landfills; they
are not sufficient!
• 4 MBT plants of
approximately 580.000 t/y 19
19

20. Positive steps
• Integration of EU legislation in Greek laws
• Adoption of Green Growth Strategic Action Program
(2010-2015)
• Successful operation & established experience of
recycling systems
• Increase in recycling rates
• Closure of illegal landfills
• Pilot project on PAYT schemes
• Industry initiatives to reduce packaging material
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21. Expected
• Waste facilities have entered tendering phase
(Pelloponese, Western Macedonia, Serres, Ilia &
Aitoloacarnania), 2 more have been announced
(Attica & Patra).
• Target of 5% separate collection of biowaste by
2015 & increase to 10% by 2020
• Introduction of landfill tax of untreated waste from
January 2014. (set at 35 €/t of waste & increase
annually by 5 €/t until 60 €/t)
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22. Challenges
• More waste treatment infrastructure needs to comply
with EU waste hierarchy
• Improve in great degree the separate collection of
municipal waste at source
• Put an end to the high share of biodegradable waste
are still disposed in landfills
• Decrease administrative & institutional drawbacks
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23. Measures
• Improve waste management planning.
• Improve monitoring, regulations & enforcement.
• Implement & increase the landfill tax.
• Introduce restrictions in landfilling of certain waste
streams.
• Implement a tax on MBT.
• Enforce Extended Producers Responsibility
schemes.
• Introduce PAYT schemes.
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• Utilise available EU funds.
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24. Waste treatment
• Significant dependence on landfilling
• Lack of treatment infrastructure
• Regardless decisions taken many times in the past,
there is slow progress in the implementation of
projects (main problems are funding, NIMBY)
• Waste management is low on the political agenda of
the decision makers & subject to “political cost”
• Lack of economic instruments to move up the waste
hierarchy
• MBT facilities have difficulties in finding market for
their products 24
• Municipalities have no binding targets to be met
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25. Separate collection
• Collection coverage is 80%
• Not all local authorities cooperate the same with
Recovery Systems
• Mostly mixed collection of packaging waste & not
separate collection of all streams
• High share of impurities
• Low level of environmental awareness in the public
• No incentives for households to participate in
separate collection
• Scavenging has significantly increased, especially for
metal and scrap metal, and theft has risen 25sharply
the last 2 years
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26. Biodegradable waste
• A very high share of biodegradable waste goes to
landfills - 87,3% landfilled in 2009
• Not accurate statistics
• Insufficient composting
• No separate collection of bio-waste
• No anaerobic digestion/biogas plants available
• Outdated compost quality standards
• Limited market
• Delays in the procurement & implementation of waste
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management infrastructure
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27. Administrative & institutional drawbacks
• Definition of “treatment” (i.e. minimum standards) in
implementation of landfill tax is unclear.
• Overlapping of responsibilities between
ministries(MEECC, Ministry of Interior & Ministry of
Development), Regional Authorities & Municipalities
• The recent reform, “Kallikratis” is not yet completed,
delays the projects.
• No update of national Waste Management Plans.
• Probably no Waste Procurement Projects until end of
2013.
• Serious delays in planning, procurement &
implementation of waste management projects (although
funds are available)
• Waste debate in Greece is strongly related to politics, &
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strong NIMBY phenomena exist
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28. Stakeholders
• Government (implement legislation, monitoring role)
• Local Authorities (managerial, ex. collection, monitoring
role)
• Regions (responsible for planning & financial details of
waste management programs)
• Non Profit Companies/bodies (authorised management
systems)
• FoDSA (Organisations for the Integrated Management of
Solid Waste)
• Companies/Producers (responsible for recycling
financing system)
• Syndicates, universities, NGOs (consultant role in policy
& legislation)
• Citizens (main actors, since on their contribution relies
the success of all efforts). 28
• Informal systems (scavengers)
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29. Systems of Alternative Management of Waste
• Packaging material
• Batteries
• Oils
• Cars
• Tyres
• Lamps
• WEEE
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30. Operating systems, 2011
Waste stream and legal approval Type Range Name
Package & packaging waste (L. 2939/2001) C N HERRCO
C N REWARDING RECYCLING**
I N ΑΒ VΑSΙLΟPΟΥLΟS
C N KEPED (oil packaging only)
Motor oils residues (PD 82/2004 ) C N ELTEPE
End of Life Vehicles (PD 116/2004) C N EDOE
Portable batteries & accumulators (PD 115/2004, C N AFIS
amended by MD 41624/2057/Ε103/2010) C N Re-Battery
C N SYDESIS
C R SEDIS-K
WEEE, (PD 117/2004 & PD 15/2006) C N APPLIANCES RECYCLING S.A.
C N FOTOKIKLOSI S.A (lighting equipment
and light bulbs only)
Used tires (PD 109/2004 ) C N ECOELASTIKA
C&D waste (MD 36259/1757/Ε103/2010) C R ANABE S.A
C R SANKE
C R CHALKIDIKI*
C R SEDPEKAT 30
C=Collective, I=Individual, R=Regional, N= Nationwide *Approval is expected by HRA, **Temporary withdrawal licence
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31. A success story
• One of the highest recycling rates in
Europe (target for 25% recycling for 2012
has already been met)
• A very extended collection system, very
apprehensive awareness, & advertisement
campaign (schools & Mass Media).
• 657 tonnes collected - represent 31,3 % of
the overall distributed amount of portable
batteries in the country. Comparing
throughout Europe is a very high 31
percentage.
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32. Summing up
• Systems material recycling output had a rising trend
until 2009
• Significant challenge for all Systems is the „free
riders‟ problem.
• 17 different licensed Systems showed very good
results in the collection / recycling / recovery of the
waste streams.
• The latest recycling results of the Systems in Greece
demonstrate that targets have been achieved for
most material streams.
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33. Financial crisis
Brought reduction of the collection of recyclables
Due to:
• The reduction of the consumption due to the
financial recession - 20% reduction in MW
production
• The theft of valuable recyclables from the collection
bins from the rising informal sector
• The social & administrative system lost cohesion
• Municipalities lacking of financial resources in many
cases went “backwards” with their recycling
programs 33
• Recycling systems are facing financial difficulties
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34. Recommendations 1
• The recycling definition should be made more clear.
In order to quantify better recycling rates. For
example what exactly stands for packaging waste in
Greece?
• Monitoring of the systems should be further
improved,
• HRA is a positive step for setting the framework of
Recycling in Greece - needs more support in order to
be able to meet increased demands.
• Legislation is more or less in place, some
improvements could be further implemented 34
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35. Recommendations 2
• There is space to increase the efficiency of the
recycling companies in an optimal degree
• Increase awareness campaigns & include in the
decision process citizens groups, NGOs, etc
• Collection points should be further increased in some
streams, & methods of separate collection &
collection rules that improve the quality, quantity &
financially viability of the systems should be
implemented
• Cooperation between systems, & local authorities
should be strengthened.
• Opportunities should be offered to the informal sector
to stop being an enemy while improving work,35safety,
& health conditions of scavengers
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36. Conclusions
• There is a lot of space from improvement, both in
organisation of the systems, the quantities gathered
& the number of waste streams recycled.
• Major changes in WM in Greece are required :
• introduction of new technologies & stringent operation
regimes for landfills
• to the calculation of costs & charges to the public & the
structure,
• organisation & operation of the waste management
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authorities.
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37. Greek waste philosophy needs to be upgraded to
meet demanding targets, criteria & standards,
while keeping cost increases to a minimum.
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