European Case Study

Waste Collection In The Municipality of Kalithea

Island of Rhodes Greece 2011.

Presented by Timothy Byrne.

Introduction

Kalithea is home to the vibrant town of Faliraki and its hotels.

It is a very popular tourist area because of its good climate and whilst this boosts the local economy is also has an impact upon the waste management industry.

Waste awaiting collection at the hotels.

Waste Production in Kalithea

Average waste production is fifty tonnes daily.

Most waste comes from hotels, apartments, tavernas and the retail industry.

A large proportion of the waste is from food.

The rest is made up of paper, card, plastic, glass, aluminium, steel cans, and textiles (waste clothing left behind by tourists).

660 litre waste storage containers awaiting collection

Waste collection in Kalithea

There are roadside communal collection points for 120, 240, 660 and 1100 litre containers. Waste is deposited here by residents of apartments, tavernas and the retail industry.

The waste containers are provided by the Municipality of Kalithea.

Hotels are provided with 660 and 1100 litre containers for their waste.

Waste containers located at communal collection points

Cold rooms for the storage of food waste.

Each hotel has a sealed cold room with 660 litre containers for food waste. It is thermostatically kept at a cool temperature until collection.

It is designed to keep biodegradable waste cool in the Mediterranean climate until collected.

Waste stored in cold room awaiting collection.

Thermostat for cold room

Operation of the waste collection service

The municipality has three waste collection vehicles, two for Faliraki and its hotels, while the third services villages inland.

To save money the municipality double shifts its collection vehicles.

One of the refuse collection vehicles used in Kalithea

Collection operations

The crew comprises a driver with two loaders.

The containers are placed at the rear of the vehicle for emptying.

Any excess waste from the hotels and communal collection points is loaded into the vehicle.

Waste collection service being carried out in Kalithea

Clearing the excess waste produced at the hotels

Types of waste collection vehicles operated in Kalithea

Kaoussis supplies the waste collection vehicles for Kalithea and it has delivered the following types:

Renault Premium two axle chassis mounted with Phoenix (2) 16 cubic metre body.

Mercedes Axor two axle chassis with Phoenix (2) 16 cubic metre body.

Nissan two axle chassis with Norba ‘K’ Series bodywork of 16 cubic metre capacity.

Kaoussis have supplied the lifting equipment of a comb bar to lift 120 – 1100 litre containers including trunnion arms.

Waste collection vehicle supplied by Kaoussis collecting waste from a communal collection point

Case study Kaoussis

Kaoussis has been manufacturing waste collection vehicles in Athens since 1971.

Today it supplies 75% of the Greek municipalities and private sector waste management companies with waste collection vehicles, bin washers, road sweepers, ejector trailers, skip loaders, roll on off equipment as well as building waste transfer stations.

A Phoenix (2) 20 cubic metre waste collection vehicle recently delivered by Kaoussis to a Greek Municipality

Health and safety issues in waste collection

High visibility clothing is not enforced in Greece. The only protective clothing supplied are gloves.

In Greece, rear mounted footboards for loaders to stand on are used, despite the practice being banned by other EU members since the evolution of the low entry cab.

Many areas of Greece do use low entry chassis supplied by Dennis Eagle (Elite 2) and Mercedes Benz (Econic) supplied through Kaoussis. Probably in Rhodes it is a cost issue.

The waste collection vehicle I saw working did not appear to be regularly maintained. It had a cracked near side mirror and the roof flashing beacon was broken.

No high visibility clothing is worn by operatives

The wastes final destination from the District of Kalithea

Each vehicle collects two loads of waste daily.

Once it is full, the crew ride in the cab to the sanitary landfill site in the centre of the island.

On average fifty tonnes of waste from the hotels are delivered daily to the landfill.

The landfill can receive waste twenty four hours a day.

Emptying the load at the landfill tip face

One of Perme’s tipper vehicle’s emptying the bottle banks at the hotels

Paper and Cardboard waste being collected

The future of waste collection on the island of Rhodes

Since the economic crisis, power has devolved to Rhodes Town, the largest city on the island.

Each municipality has to seek guidance from Rhodes Town before they can make local decisions.

Rhodes Town has decided privatisation is the way forward for waste collection services.

Waste collection vehicle operated by private contractor Perme

Private waste collection contractors which already exist on the island of Rhodes

There are two private waste collection contractors working on the island of Rhodes.

Helesi S.A. (Hellenic Environmental Systems Industry) who have great experience in managing Greek waste collection contracts have long term contracts with Ialysos and Afantou.

Perme (Environmental Transport Ltd), the other contractor has since 2005 had long term contracts in Archangelos. It also collects waste for Lindos.

Refuse collection vehicle operated by Helesi S.A. discharging its load at the sanitary landfill site

Conclusion

Although it looks likely waste collection will be privatised in Greece, given the economic crisis, who wants to win the contracts?

Will they be paid?

Are there any other measures the government could introduce instead of privatisation?

Is the formation of Direct Service Organisations the answer?

Operating as a public company but as a division of the municipality, they tender competitively for contracts and offer best value for money. They also control their own budgets.

Could the merger of several municipalities be another answer? A Unitary Authority would allow them to share operating costs.

Can Greece learn from the UK how to provide a cost effective local service? Or is the Greek situation too different from the UK experience?

Thank you for listening to my presentation