Nicosia, Cyprus. The Environment Department is intensifying efforts to tackle the illegal dumping of construction and demolition waste, which deputy director Elena Stylianopoulou described as one of the country’s main environmental challenges.
Speaking to CyBC radio on Monday, Stylianopoulou said an action plan to improve waste management was already being implemented and would require time to deliver results.
Funding and environmental risks
The Council of Ministers approved €1 million in emergency aid on July 17 for the cleanup of illegal waste dumping sites. It was the third consecutive year that such funding had been allocated.
The funding is intended to reduce fire risks and protect the environment and public health.
Stylianopoulou said several fires in recent years had been linked to illegal waste disposal sites, making the issue more urgent.
Waste management chain
She said the action plan draws on lessons from recent years and recognises that construction waste management involves all stages of the chain, including property owners, contractors and waste management facilities.
The department’s objective is to improve compliance throughout the sector rather than focus only on isolated illegal dumping cases, she said.
Stylianopoulou added that not all industry participants were breaking the law and that the department aimed to gradually improve compliance through consistent enforcement and continued engagement.
Inspections
The department’s priority is to stop the illegal dumping of construction and demolition waste, which Stylianopoulou distinguished from illegal landfill sites that generally contain a wider range of materials.
Inspections are mainly conducted by Environment Department inspectors, with particular focus on construction sites as the starting point of the waste management chain.
