I’ve been in Cyprus from one month and half and I’m completely falling in love with this country. Before moving here, I was wondering what my life might be, which people I was going to meet, the volunteering experience I was going to get and so much more. As soon as I landed, in the island, all my expectations took shape and even more reality has exceeded my hopefulness.
I’ve started to discover the beautiful beaches of this enchanting island and go around a little bit. And with great regret I noticed that Cyprus coastlines are no more unpolluted.
I know that it is a worldwide issue, but see the effect of our actions first-hand saddened me. So, I’ve started to read a little more about Cyprus coastline pollution and its main challenges.
As reported in a recent study conducted by IUCN in 2020, there are around 229.000 tonnes of plastic that are leaking into the Mediterranean Sea annually. And it is estimated that Cyprus contribution to marine plastic leakage is around 760 tonnes. Mentioning an article published on IUCN website: “Two competing factors explain the high levels of plastic leakage per capita: high waste generation, on one hand, and efficient waste management (in incineration facilities or sanitary landfills), on the other.”
It is for this reason that one of the most monumental challenges in Cyprus remains the reduction of waste generation and its recycling. As reported in an article on the independent newspaper NewEurope “Cyprus recycles only 16% of its municipal waste, compared to an EU-wide 46%”.
Because of the increasing presence of plastic and micro plastics, oceans and seas are at risk and call for actions.
Some actions to counteract the problem are already in force: one of these is the programme “stop the plastic flow” carried out by the no-profit organisation Friends of the earth Cyprus. The project aims not only to clean up plastic waste but also to encourage the companies accountable for the trash found on the beaches to reduce their plastic use. The NGO is also trying to create more Green Points for bulky waste, so people won’t have to travel long distance to reach them.
At the same time, it is necessary more consciousness and awareness from the public opinions.
Resources:
https://cyprus-mail.com/2022/08/03/cyprus-beaches-at-high-risk-from-plastic-pollution/
https://www.foecyprus.org/project/stop-the-plastic-flow/
https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/waste-and-recycling/waste-framework-directive_en
https://www.neweurope.eu/article/cyprus-the-island-sinking-in-waste/