Green points

According to the new National Waste Management Plan (NWMP) approved by the Act of the Council of Ministers 49/2015 (Government Gazette 174/A) it is required the creation of at least one (1) Green Point per Municipality, by 2020. The main purpose of the Green Points (GP) is the separate collection of various categories of recyclable municipal waste in order to be promoted for reuse and recycling. The Green Points are organized under the responsibility of the Municipalities, in accordance with the references in the municipal Local Waste Management Plans (LWMP) and the approved the Regional Waste Management Plan (RWMP). In the Green Points, in addition to the municipal services, the citizens, the institutions and the companies can present and deposit in specially designed spaces, separately for each category, either waste for recycling or special management, or objects for reuse. At Green Points, a first sorting and classification of materials into the reusables and the recyclables ones is happening. Green Points can vary in size, with or without special infrastructure. According to Joint Ministerial Decision 18485/2017 (Government Gazette 1412/B) are classified in:

• Green points, inside or outside settlements and especially in
  • Small Green Points
  • Big Green Points
• Recycling Centers & Training in Separation at Source, which is a Small Green Point in combination with infrastructure and training activities in the separation at source and integration of social economy initiatives
• Recycle Corners or Green Neighborhood Points
• Mobile Green Points

According to:

- the approved RWMP of Western Macedonia (decision of the regional council 286/2016, Joint Ministerial Decision 61489/5303 / 19-12-2016, Government Gazette 4151 / Β / 21-12-2016)
- The LWMP of the Municipalities of the Region of Western Macedonia, in Western Macedonia region are foreseen to be implemented:

Green Neighborhood Points

They will be determined by the Municipalities, after a study - field research that will be implemented by the Municipalities themselves in the next period.

Small Green Dots

It is proposed to develop, taking into account the LWMP:

• Construction of 6 Small Green Points in the large settlements of Western Macedonia region (> 10,000 inhabitants: 2 in Kozani, 1 in Ptolemaida, 1 in Kastoria, 1 in Grevena, 1 in Florina). It is proposed that these Green Points be converted into Recycling Centers & Training in Separation at Source as well.
• Construction of 7 Small Green Points in seats of other Municipalities of Western Macedonia region (1 in Siatista, 1 in Serbia, 1 in Deskati, 1 in Argos Orestiko, 1 in Amynteo, 1 in Nestorio, 1 in Prespes). In the Municipalities of Nestorio and Prespes, Big Green Points and Recycling & Training Center for Sorting at Source, can be implemented alternatively.
• Construction of Small Green Points in basic settlements of PDM (> 2,000 inhabitants: 1 in Neapoli, 1 in Aiani, 1 in Krokos, 1 in Velvento, 1 Mesopotamia, etc)

Big Green Points

• Construction of Big Green Points (with expansion of infrastructure to the existing 10 LWMU). The infrastructure is in operation as early as 2018 by DIADYMA.
  Specifically, in the 10 LWMU of DIADYMA, the following are already collected separately:

• • The 4 streams of Recyclable Materials (Paper, Plastic, Metal, Glass).
  • The Green Waste of gardens & parks.
  • Bulky Waste (furniture items, mattresses, etc.).
  • Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and light bulbs.
  • Edible oils & fats
  • Textile waste (clothes, curtains, carpets, etc.)

Mobile Green Points

• Supply of equipment for mobile green points, utilizing as a priority the existing mobile equipment - vehicle fleet of DIADYMA. DIADYMA has procured 2 mobile Green Points in the framework of the implementation of the Green Point MOB project of INTERREG Greece-Albania 2014-2020 program, which are already in operation.
  The Mobile Green Points serve small, remote, and seasonal (habitable only summer months) settlements, in which there is no easy and fast access to a stable Green Point. Their role, in addition to collecting materials for recycling and reuse, will also be informative - educational.

The implementation of the Green Points facilities will be accompanied by the following:

• Development of a single database - information system, with the supply of the necessary logistical equipment, for the management and utilization of the materials for reuse. The database will be open to all citizens, so that they can inform about materials (potential waste) that they have and do not need, but also to be informed to receive materials for reuse from the Reuse Centers. The operation of the Green Points and the Reuse Centers will be explored to be managed by social economy agencies. At the same time, they will be able to operate also as Recycling Centers & Training in Separation at Source
• The possibility of designing and implementing reciprocal incentive schemes (e.g., recycler card) to citizens and companies participating in the separation at source, Recycling and Reuse, through the Green Points, will be explored