After a presentation of the WINPOL good practices and several discussions, local stakeholders identified a short list of potential projects that could be adopted in Crete, mainly regarding pay-as-you-throw, waste collection optimization, and data collection and sharing. After a final meeting in August 2020 led to four actions.
The actions are gathered in the Action Plan for the Region of Crete.
Action 1: Set-up of a data collection equipment for the bio-waste collected in Heraklion
An innovative system to collect data regarding bio-waste collection will be set up in the Municipality of Heraklion. It will include:
- Special waste collection trucks for biowaste;
- Bin wash vehicle;
- Compostable bags for biowaste collection;
- Bins for biowaste, with barcodes/RFID tags in order to be able to identify each one and record the daily quantities collected from each bin;
- Installation of a weighing system on biowaste collection vehicles;
- GPS tracking systems for all vehicles.
The Municipality of Heraklion will be responsible for the implementation and maintenance of the system; the Regional Operational Programme Crete will provide funding for purchasing the equipment; and the Region of Crete will monitor the success and effectiveness of the system.
The system will first focus on bio-waste but could be expanded at a later stage to all the main waste streams or be implemented by other interested municipalities in the region.
Implementation time frame: 2020 - 2022
Estimated costs: EUR 1M
Inspired by:
Container sensors for optimized waste collection (GR)
Operating aid system and waste collection weighing (ES)
Action 2: Development of a platform to monitor waste flows and optimise the supply chain at municipal level
A platform will be developed to monitor waste flows and optimise the supply chain of separated waste collected at municipal level. Users of the platform will have the possibility to enter data on waste collection and management. They will then be able to monitor and evaluate the performance of the system at any time. The platform will be implemented in such a way that Municipalities, will be able to incorporate sensors (e.g. vehicle GPS, bin sensors, etc.). The Region of Crete will be responsible for the development and the funding of the platform while the Municipality of Heraklion will be responsible for implementing and maintaining the platform.
The platform could easily be adapted to other municipalities and could be combined with the automatic data collection system (see Action 1) and PAYT systems (see Action 4).
Implementation time frame: 2020 - 2022
Estimated costs:
- 1st development stage of the platform: EUR 25,000
- Maintenance: EUR 500 per year
- Adaptation costs to other municipalities: maximum EUR 3,000
Inspired by:
Waste management datacenter (PT)
Operating aid system and waste collection weighing (ES)
Action 3: Development of a platform to monitor the waste of the Green Points at regional level and share data with users
A platform will be developed to provide a systematic monitoring connecting available data and giving an immediate and visual feedback on the operation of the Green Points. Thanks to this platform, citizens will be able to find information about the basic operating characteristics of the municipal infrastructures (e.g. location, opening hours, acceptable waste streams, etc.). The platform will also facilitate the communication between citizens and management bodies.
Another benefit of the platform is that it will help monitor the diversion objectives that the Region must achieve in waste management, but also the waste management reporting to the Ministry of Environment and the EU.
At a later stage, other facilities (e.g. Waste Treatment Facilities, etc.) could be included in the platform.
In addition to funding, the Region of Crete will be responsible for developing the platform and preparing a user guide for Municipalities & Waste Management Authorities. Data collection and input to the platform will be under the responsibility of the municipalities and waste management authorities in Crete.
Implementation time frame: 2020 - 2022
Estimated costs:
- Development of the platform and the technical guide: EUR 25,000
- Maintenance: maximum EUR 500 per year
Inspired by:
Sharing data on waste and resources with the public (NL)
Waste management data warehouse (BE)
H2020 COLLECTORS project
Action 4: Introduction of PAYT systems funding opportunities for municipalities
Funding opportunities for PAYT systems will be included in the Regional Operational Programme Crete 2021-2027. The system should include special equipment (weighing system in waste collection vehicles, lockable bins with barcodes/RFID tags & volume or weight-based track systems (e.g. sensors or fixed volume doors), RFID cards and bin keys for citizens) and a monitoring platform based on action 2.
Implementation time frame: 2020 -2021
Inspired by:
LIFE-REthinkWASTE project and PAYT for hotels in Hersonissos
