Nicosia, Cyprus. Government plans to introduce a new landfill tax have drawn attention to Cyprus’ waste management system, with Ecologists Movement MP Charalambos Theopemptou calling the situation “frustrating” on Thursday.
Impact on Koshi and pay-as-you-throw fees
Theopemptou said that increasing the price per tonne at Koshi would require an increase in the cost of the pay-as-you-throw system. Koshi is one of the island’s main waste disposal sites, where rubbish collected by municipalities is weighed and charged per tonne.
Infrastructure gaps and waste composition
He said that due to inadequate infrastructure, household waste contains more materials than it should, including organic waste. Theopemptou said organic waste accounts for 40 per cent of the waste disposed of at Koshi.
Timing of the landfill tax and policy context
Theopemptou said the landfill tax comes at a time when Cyprus is supposed to be implementing a pay-as-you-throw system, under which residents receive incentives through lower fees if they recycle packaging, paper, hazardous household waste and organic waste.
Link to EU obligations and infringement cases
He placed the new tax in the context of government waste policy, saying previous “green taxes” on water, energy and waste may have been introduced to fund potential fines linked to infringement cases filed against Cyprus by the European Commission. He said these taxes were introduced by the Anastasiades government and came into effect in 2024, adding that, in his opinion, they were included to collect money to pay future fines.
Current infringement procedures
Theopemptou said the landfill tax announced on Wednesday comes on top of existing issues, noting that Cyprus is currently facing three infringement procedures related to waste management.
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