The principal legislative act is Law 4819/2021 (Government Gazette ΦΕΚ 129/A’ 23.7.2021), entitled: “Integrated framework for waste management – Incorporation of Directives 2018/851 and 2018/852 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 amending Directive 2008/98/EC on waste and Directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste, framework for the organization of the Hellenic Recycling Agency,  provisions on plastic products and the protection of the natural environment, spatial planning, urban planning, energy and related emergency regulations”.

Law 4819/2021 defines “Waste” as any substance or object that the holder discards, intends to discard or is obliged to discard. They are classified as hazardous or non-hazardous. Categories of waste include: “Municipal waste”, “Excavation, Construction and Demolition Waste”, “Waste oils”, “Bio-waste”, “Food waste”.

The most significant waste streams are mixed municipal waste, packaging waste, food waste, bio-waste and critical raw materials.

• In the blue bins: Mixed Packaging Waste
• In brown bins Biowaste: Household
• In green or metal bins: Mixed Municipal Waste
• Ιn the light blue “Bells” bins :Glass
• In the yellow bins: Paper

On the website of the General Secretariat for Waste Management Coordination, detailed information is provided on what is disposed of and in which bin (Mixed Packaging Waste, Household Biowaste, Mixed Municipal Waste, Glass, Paper)

Rational waste management is a comprehensive approach that aims to minimize the negative impact of waste on both the environment and human health, while ensuring its optimal further use. When a product, instead of being discarded as waste, is repaired, reused or recycled to create further value, then waste and resource use are minimized.

To turn waste into resources, waste management targets need to be aligned with the goals of the transition to the circular economy.

According to the definition of European legislation “A circular economy is a system that preserves the value of products, materials and resources in the economy for as long as possible and minimizes waste generation. This implies a system where products are reused, repaired, remanufactured or recycled.”

Pay-as-you-throw scheme means a system under which waste producers are charged based on the actual quantity of waste they generate. ‘Waste producer’ is any person whose activities produce waste, i.e. an initial producer of waste, or any person who carries out pre-treatment, mixing or other operations in which lead to a change in the nature or composition of such waste.

According to article 38 of Law 4819/2021, as of January 1, 2022, a landfill tax fee is imposed on quantities of untreated municipal waste disposed of in landfills as well as for the residues of municipal waste treatment resulting from municipal waste treatment plants (Recycling Sorting Centers, Biowaste Treatment Plants, Mechanical Biological Treatment Plants, and municipal waste incineration plants), which are disposed of in Landfills. the entities obliged to pay the landfill tax fee are the Solid Waste Management Authorities (FODSA) and the municipalities or the legal entities belonging to the Local Authorities that exercise the competences of FODSA under article 227 of Law 4555/2018 (A’ 133).

According to paragraph. 17, article 11, Law 4042/2012 “Any recovery operation by which waste is reprocessed into products, materials or substances intended either to serve again its original purpose or other purposes. It includes the reprocessing of organic materials but not energy recovery and reprocessing into materials to be used as fuels or backfilling operations.” The competent authority for the implementation of policies for the alternative management of packaging waste and other products is the Hellenic Recycling Organization (EOAN).

• • Enterprises/activities, waste producers subject to environmental permitting.
  • Licensed waste warehouses and waste reception units for the implementation of disposal and recovery operations
  • Licensed waste collectors – transporters
  • Municipalities and the municipalities
  • Solid Waste Management Authorities

  All the above entities are obliged to be registered in the Electronic Waste Registry (Hλεκτρονικό Μητρώο Αποβλήτων – ΗΜΑ).

   

• • Mechanical and Biological Treatment Plant (MBT)

  This unit receives mixed waste and, through mechanical processing, separates them into recyclable materials, RDF solid fuel (such as paper and plastics), and, through biological processing, into soil improvement material (compost). The remaining materials that cannot be utilized are sent for further management, such as landfilling or energy recovery. In some waste treatment plants, electricity generation is also achieved.

  • Biowaste Treatment Facility (Composting and/or Anaerobic Digestion)

  This unit accepts only pre-sorted biowaste (coming from the brown bin) and, through appropriate biological treatment, converts them into soil improver material (compost) or digestate.

   

  • Recycling and Recovery Facility (RRF)

  The unit in which mechanical sorting of separately collected recyclable materials and biological treatment of the separately collected organic fraction of municipal waste is carried out either by aerobic process or anaerobic digestion. The RRF also receives quantities of residual municipal waste mixtures, which are subject to mechanical and biological treatment.

  • Sanitary Landfill (Landfill)

  These are waste disposal sites on the ground, which have been designed with technology that minimizes their impact on human health and the environment due to their way of operation.

  • Sanitary Landfill of Residuals

  It is the site where waste residuals are being deposited, meaningthe waste that remains after the completion of the mechanical processing or sorting.

  • Waste Transfer Station (WTS)

  A Waste Transfer Station is a facility where municipal solid waste is temporarily received and compacted into specialized containers and subsequently transported to appropriate treatment or disposal facilities using specialized vehicles. The operation of WTSs reduces long-distance transport routes, thereby limiting pollutant emissions and significantly reducing waste transportation costs.

  • Material Recovery Facility (MRF)

  It is a facility intended for the sorting and processing recyclable materials collected from recycling bins. The main objective of MRFss is to improve the quality and efficiency of recycling by sorting, processing, and  preparing materials for recycling or reuse. 

  • Recycling Materials Sorting Centers (KDAY)

  A Recycling Materials Sorting Center is a facility intended for the sorting and processing of recyclable materials collected through recycling schemes. The main objective of an KDAY is to improve the quality and efficiency of recycling by sorting, processing and preparing materials for recycling or reuse

  • Reuse and Preparation for Reuse Center (PfR)

  It is an organized facility that deals with the exploitation of “defective materials” that can be repaired or restored, as well as materials that are in good condition and ready for reuse. At the PfR, materials are sorted, creatively modified, repaired, and then made available to citizens again through stores that sell “second-hand” items.

  • Green Point

  It is an organized area, created by one or more municipalities or by FODSA with the approval of the competent municipality. This area is demarcated and suitably equipped so that citizens and municipal services can deposit separately collected recyclable waste or used items for further management.

  • Recycling Corner

  This is a public or private space of very small scale, without fencing or any structures, where citizens deposit separately collected recyclable municipal waste or used items in appropriate containers, which are then collected by the municipality for reuse, preparation for reuse, or recycling.