Waste crisis or Solution, and Innovation

The refugee crisis try and test the limits of the state machine, the… of local government and of society in many areas. The field of management of additional and new waste which have accumulated, is one of them. Greenpeace recorded the current situation in the island of Lesbos and moved on to specific proposals for actions that will be implemented locally and will contribute to the elimination of the problem, offering new jobs. With the necessary adjustments, this approach can be a model for the rest of the islands facing similar challenges.
The research team of Greenpeace recorded both quantitatively and qualitatively, the size of the problem while, at the same time, explored the international best good practices (LIC), and the actual possibilities in the domestic market for the management of the specific waste.
“The key innovation of this proposal is that it exports the problem, but treats it on site, maximizing the environmental, social and economic benefits,“ said Philip Κυρκίτσος, Dr. Environmentalist, who conducted the research on behalf of Greenpeace. “In addition, the implementation of the proposal can start in just a few weeks and bring very quickly and visible results”.
From the investigation carried out showed that the set of possible generated waste – materials from the refugee – immigration crisis in the period 2015 – 2017 is estimated at about 19,000 tons. From the implementation of the proposal will be recovered, recovered, recycled or κομποστοποιηθεί the total of waste created as a result of the refugee-migrant crisis. A basic prerequisite for the success of the proposal is the innovation and the high added value that will come from the production of upgraded products (upcycling) of the light waste, such as life vests, plastic boats, clothing etc. They have already begun initiatives in this direction.
“Given an excellent opportunity to Lesvos and Greece to turn the crisis into opportunity with innovation and the creation of jobs, solving fully the problem of waste management,“ said Nikos Charalambides, Director of the Greek Office of Greenpeace. “The idea is for the competent bodies to dare!”
The cost of the necessary work for the implementation of the proposal of Greenpeace, which guarantees the absolutely ecological and economic management, it was estimated that less than 4.8 million. The implementation of it was estimated that it will create about 182 man-years of work, most of which relate to jobs in Lesvos.
Greenpeace calls for:
From the state:
· To deal with all the waste of the refugee crisis, and not just the obvious.
· To give absolute priority to the on-the-spot and home management and utilization instead of the export and to adopt the most economic solutions to the exclusion of costly methods (such as incineration).
· To ensure the full financing of the necessary actions.
By the Municipality of Lesvos:
· To adopt all of the proposed actions and to work closely with the central state for their implementation.
· To support initiatives of upcycling so that they can become sustainable.
· To transfer the experience and know-how (it already has but the one I acquired) and the rest of the islands and areas facing similar challenges.
From the whole of society:
· To show in practice its support to social initiatives upcycling.