Taking into account the targets of the National Plan for Waste Management, the Municipality of Kozani has drafted the Local Plan for Waste Management, which sets the targets that have to be accomplished and the challenges that should be overcome until 2020. Among the targets set are:
- the development of a source collection system for the biodegradable cluster (food residue and crop residue) of the municipal solid waste and its composting
- expansion of the recycling project.
Both of these targets will contribute to the increase of valuable material recovery and to the decrease of solid waste production send to landfill.
Initially, the Municipality of Kozani, elaborated an awareness project for promoting waste source collection and recycling. The project included:
- Production of awareness leaflet and poster
- Distribution of awareness material be electronic means
- Environmental awareness events for schools
- Awareness events for recycling of packages and paper to specific local stakeholders
- Open awareness event
- Press conferences
The next step was to start a pilot project of source collection system and home composting of food residue in a specific area of the Municipality. The neighbor of Platania – Panagia Faneromeni was chosen as the most suitable area, as it met the majority of the necessary success requirements. The project was implemented for one year in co-operation with DIADYMA A.E. who is the Solid Waste Managing Authority of the Region of Western Macedonia.
The project started with the record of the 250 homes/ food service accommodation, by using the “door to door” method. Employs of the municipality and DIADYMA A.E. visited the selected area and interviewed the residents regarding the number of persons per home, their everyday customs regarding waste production, while at the same time they informed them about the scope of the project and its implementation. At the same time, the necessary waste bins, with brown color, were placed for the first time and more bins for the collection of paper, glass, metal and plastic were situated in new areas, in order to expand the existing collection system.
The discharge of the bins is made at specific periods so as to secure public health and service.
The results will be evaluated in two time intervals, in a mid-interval and in the end of the project and the conclusions will be used for the improvement of the Municipality Solid Waste Management System. Furthermore, the conclusions will be used for organizing and implementing the pilot project to the whole municipality, in the close future.