Tilos – Greek island becomes a model for green development

These have been successfully applied by a tourist island in Greece, becoming a model of Sustainable Development.

Up to 15 hours by ferry from the mainland, Tilos is one of Greece’s most remote islands. That makes electricity supply as well as waste storage a big challenge for local people.

Even so, these difficulties have made Tilos more willing to experiment with new development initiatives. From the end of 2021, the whole island has started a program Garbage collection and sorting at home provided by a business for free. And the island’s landfill has been completely closed.

Mr. Athanasios Polychronopoulos, Director of Polygreen Recycling Company, said: “We have succeeded in reaching 100% of the waste that does not need to be landfilled. It can be said that Tilos has become a ‘zero waste island. “, a result to be proud of”.

Instead of landfilling, a recycling plant has been put into operation, where waste is sorted and processed into recyclable materials such as glass powder, cement and shredded paper. Every week, about 2 tons of waste is treated. According to the company Polygreen, up to 80% of the waste is completely recycled, the rest is also cleaned and crushed to use in construction.

Besides, Tilos has long replaced the energy source from fossil fuel. Much of the electricity is produced on site thanks to a solar park and numerous wind turbines to take advantage of the island’s abundant sun and wind resources.

Maria Kamma-Alifer, Tilos island chief, said: “This energy project is the culmination of many years of development, and it has made us the first energy independent ‘green island’ in the Earth. Zhong Hai”.

Not limited to the success of Tilos, Greek officials hope to promote this model in many other islands, which are facing similar challenges, especially as the country’s popular islands welcome new challenges. a large group of tourists on the upcoming summer vacation.

The Greek island of Tilos has become a model for sustainable development. (Photo: AP)

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