Good practice:

Sorting at Source and door-to-door collection

The Municipality of Lipsi implements a recycling program fully supported by the citizens & the local businesses. the Municipality distributed waste bags for temporary storage to the residents and businesses. The waste separation takes place at the source for the following materials: paper, plastic, nylon, metal/ aluminium, and glass. There are 3 recycling locations with separate collection points – including biowaste- on the main beaches of the island- to enhance the system. The Municipality along with the local businesses decided to stop using plastic identifying the environmental impact & demonstrating that public and private sector can collaborate effectively and maximize the results. The Municipality installed water kiosks with drinkable water for the residents and tourists to avoid plastic bottles. The kiosks had significant financial and environmental impact since the water provided by them is cheaper than the one in a bottle alongside with the elimination of the plastic. The objectives of the practice are to reduce waste, encourage recycling, raise environmental awareness, and promote the island as an environmentally friendly touristic destination. Main stakeholders of the practice are the local businesses who play an important role in plastic reduction by stopping the single use plastics provision. In addition, the residents of Lipsi as well as the tourists are engaged to the practice by implementing the recycling program & by using the kiosks too.

Some of the activities of the practice were funded by the Regional Government of South Aegean. However, there is no available information about the costs.

First, there was high public and business engagement in the context of the implementation of the practice. Also, the practice was awarded in 2015 for achieving the highest amount per person at national level (70kg per resident). In addition, within the first three months of the implementation of the practice the operation of the water kiosks has saved 50,000 plastic bottles of 1.5 litre. Due to the above, the practice can be characterized as good.

No challenges have been recorded.

The practice can be transferred to national and European level as well due to the common problems of increased plastic waste and the common solutions that are in line with the directive for SUP of the European Union. Low skills are required for the implementation of the practice, and it can be easily replicated by other, small Greek islands and consequently Municipalities. The Municipality of Lipsi could share the know-how emerged from the implementation of the practice, the knowledge and experience to other insular regions.
The practice is aligned with: Waste Framework Directive, 2008/98/EC, Waste Framework Directive, 2018/851 and Single Use Plastics Directive, 2019/904.