Professionals may be allowed to drop off waste at Cyprus’s green points for a fee, under certain conditions, the House Environment Committee heard on Wednesday.
Green points currently serve only members of the public, who can leave waste there free of charge. Professionals cannot use them for any of the waste streams they accept. Kostas Konstantinou, director general of the General Directorate of the Environment, said that accepting waste from professionals for a fee was being considered following the District Local Government Organisations’ (DLGOs) takeover of the sites on 1 July 2024. He said it could help make better use of the infrastructure and improve the sites’ financial viability, provided the necessary infrastructure, procedures and arrangements were in place.
The Agriculture Ministry is firmly opposed to any charge for the public, and is considering charges only for professionals.
Konstantinou told the committee that the network is expected to grow from 28 to 36 green points once the first phase of its expansion is complete. He also outlined the problems the DLGOs have faced in running the sites.
Famagusta delay
The Water Development Department (WDD) has finished building green points in Ayia Napa, Avgorou and Sotira, but the Famagusta DLGO has not yet taken them over or opened them. The delay stems from concerns about covering their running costs and from disagreement over whether the DLGO or local authorities should run them.
The matter is considered urgent because the projects were co-financed by the Recovery and Resilience Plan, raising the risk that the spending will be ruled ineligible in European audits from 2027.
Expansion
Of the 28 existing green points, eight are in Nicosia district, eight in Larnaca, five in Paphos, four in Limassol and three in Famagusta. The Alambra site has been expanded, and five new sites have been built, in Ayia Napa, Larnaca, Troulloi, Avgorou and Sotira. Two more are under construction: Dherynia, due to be completed at the end of October 2026, and Latsia-Geri, due at the end of February 2027.
Six further sites are being planned with the DLGOs and are due to be completed in 2027-2028. Four are in Nicosia district, at Engomi-Agios Dometios near Nicosia Mall, Nicosia-Aglantzia, Lakatamia-Tseri and Kato Pyrgos. The other two are in Limassol district, at Linopetra-Agios Athanasios and Pelendri.
The Nicosia DLGO has agreed to carry out the studies and construction for its new sites, with technical support from the WDD and entirely national funding. A similar arrangement is being considered for the two Limassol district sites, where planning is at an early stage.
For mountain and remote areas, 50 green kiosks have been installed in mountain communities: 16 in Limassol district, 15 in Paphos, ten in Nicosia and nine in Larnaca. Their full operation has been delayed by outstanding connections from the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC), and only five had been fully connected by September 2026. Containers for small bulky waste have been placed at 20 of them.
Plans also include 17 small green points in clusters of mountain communities. They will collect bulky and green waste and electrical appliances. They have a budget of 1.8 million euros, funded by the THALIA 2021-2027 programme, and are due to be completed by the end of 2027.
Problems
Because the original plan has not been completed, people have to travel long distances, and illegal dumping in the countryside is increasing. The Department of Environment’s review of the Strategic Plan (Phase B) is expected to be finished at the end of 2026.
The small number of licensed facilities for bulky and green waste pushes up the cost of delivering it, and there are no licensed operators for some materials, such as polystyrene and insulation. Licensed facilities also close for up to a month in summer, so waste piles up at green points.
Some municipalities run temporary, unlicensed green points outside the official network, such as those in Agios Dometios and Kaimakli, and set their own charges. The Department of Environment is considering either bringing them into the network or phasing them out.
Reuse
A network of 36 reuse shops is being set up inside green points, where items in good condition will be given to the public free of charge. Two are already operating, in Malounta and Linou.
Two repair and reuse centres are planned, in Idalion in Nicosia district and in Limassol. They are estimated to cost 6.5 million euros and are due to be completed in 2029. Repaired items will be sold there at 30 to 40 per cent of their original price.
