The Circular Economy Information Day was successfully held on 9 April 2025 in Larissa, at JOIST Innovation Park (Valtetsiou & Tripoleos Streets, Postal Code 41336).
The event was jointly organised by the Green Fund, the Ministry of Environment and Energy, the Region of Thessaly, the Municipality of Larissa, the Solid Waste Management Authority of the Region of Thessaly S.A. and the Ecological Recycling Society, as part of the LIFE-IP CEI-Greece – LIFE18 IPE/GR/000013 “Circular Economy Implementation in Greece” project.
The event brought together 60 participants, primarily from local government, agricultural and tourism sector associations, professional and industrial chambers, and non-governmental organisations. It featured an overview of the LIFE-IP CEI-Greece project and highlighted successful circular economy practices that could be implemented both in the Municipality of Larissa and across the wider region of Thessaly.
At the opening of the event, Mr Fotis Lamprinidis, Deputy Regional Governor for Environment of the Region of Thessaly, delivered welcoming remarks, stressing that the event’s conclusions would guide the implementation of immediate policy measures in the region.
Mr Manolis Grafakos, Secretary General for Waste Management Coordination at the Ministry of Environment and Energy, then highlighted the substantial efforts being made to reduce landfilling and implement a circular waste management model. This model includes waste prevention, separation at source, treatment facilities for separately collected waste streams, mixed waste treatment facilities and energy recovery from residual waste.
Mr Nikos Sakkas, President of the Thessaly Solid Waste Management Authority, emphasised the ambition for Thessaly to become a model of green development.
Mr Ioannis Androulakis, President of the Green Fund, also discussed the significant benefits of implementing the circular economy in Greece and the Green Fund’s role in the LIFE project as both an associated beneficiary and a co-financier.
Mr Philippos Kirkitsos, President of the Ecological Recycling Society, then presented the key priorities for municipal waste management in the Region of Thessaly within the circular economy framework. This was followed by Ms Mary Plati, LIFE-IP CEI-Greece Project Manager at the Ministry of Environment and Energy, who presented an overview of the project and its results.
Presentations by distinguished speakers followed. Ms Maria Vrontissi, Professor in the Department of Architecture at the University of Thessaly, presented pilot initiatives for reusing building components in the construction sector. Mr Xenophon Spiliotis, Emeritus Professor in the Department of Environment at the University of Thessaly, then discussed the use of waste as a resource for production as a critical strategy for implementing the circular economy in the Region of Thessaly.
Mr Fotis Tekos, Chief Executive Officer of Olea Fortius, presented an innovative method for converting by-products from olive mills and wineries into animal feed. Mr Kostas Chartzoulakis, AGRO WATER Project Manager, also presented an integrated precision irrigation and crop protection system.
Finally, Mr Mohammed Darawsheh, former Head of the National Cotton Centre and Scientific Advisor to Cotton Growers’ Organisations, discussed methods for reducing inputs and production costs in cotton cultivation.
The event was moderated by Mr Philippos Kirkitsos.
View the event programme here.
View the presentations below:
LIFE-IP CEI-Greece Project Overview – Ministry of Environment and Energy
Pilot Initiatives for Reusing Components in the Construction Sector
Unravelling the bioactivity of olive oil side-stream products – Where we stand ?
Waste Management in the Region of Thessaly
Waste as Feedstock: A Critical Strategy for the Circular Economy
