The Municipality of Nafpaktia is active in the management of waste and seeks to adopt high quality source-sorting systems, invest in the circular economy and deploy financial instruments to achieve recycling targets. Already since 2009, all the 40,000 inhabitants and visitors of the area are served through blue bins and actions are implemented to collect recyclable electrical and electronic devices (350 tons to-date).
Through the glass recycling programme over 110 tons of glass are collected annually. The Municipality also implements programmes for:
- The collection of edible oils and is providing incentives to local establishments to implement similar programmes,
- Pilot composting in the town of Nafpaktos, with the participation of more than 400 citizens
- Pilot screening-at-source programme for organic municipal waste, with focus on cafés, restaurants, hotels, supermarkets, markets, kindergartens, etc.
- The management and recycling of materials from heavy objects (e.g. mattresses, old furniture, etc.)
The Municipality also contributes to integrated waste management in the wider region through information and awareness actions for small students and citizens on waste prevention, recycling and reuse, such as:
- Composting program with all schools in the city.
- Rewarding recycling program with small electrical devices with schools where the collection of a small bucket of small recyclable devices is used to purchase school photocopying paper.
- Special program to inform and raise awareness of recycling issues during the RECYCLING WEEK held concurrently with the St Demetrios religious feast in October each year.
- Distribution of recycling bags to schools at the start and end of school year.
- Organisation of recycling contests with environmental groups with the award being an environmental education tour
- School visits to selection recycling Centre at Patras and the landfill site
- Reduce the use of plastic bag with free distribution bags and shopping trolleys
The targets for 2020 at municipal level is to decrease waste to landfill by 70%, strengthen the separate collection of waste, prevent waste generation (for food waste) and promote a Circular Economy agenda across all activities.
