Tilos Greece News: Have You Heard About The First Zero Waste Island? ♻️

Tilos Greece News ♻️: Have you ever heard or read about a place that produces no waste? No? Then this news might boggle your mind! It may sound like a pipe dream to some, but the remote Greek island of Tilos actually had an ambitious goal that they’ve reportedly already achieved: to produce zero waste. This small Aegean island in Greece aimed and achieved a recent, incredible feat — becoming the world’s first zero waste island! So, in this blog, we’ll explore how Tilos Greece accomplished its eco-friendly goals and what it means for its future.

Tilos Greece news: zero waste definition

Let me ask you this: what does it truly mean to be “zero waste”? According to Zero Waste Australia, as adopted from the Zero Waste International Alliance, the term zero waste means “designing and managing products and processes to reduce the volume and toxicity of waste and materials, conserve and recover all resources, and not burn or bury them. Implementing Zero Waste will eliminate all discharges to land, water, or air that may be a threat to planetary, human, animal or plant health”.

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Now that you know what the term we always hear nowadays means, I have another, and more important, question for you: are there any places that we can consider zero waste? Apparently, there is. A tiny Greek island situated in the Aegean Sea, named Tilos, has recently been proclaimed as the world’s first zero waste island.

You may not have heard of or read about the news surrounding Tilos, Greece, but the island has certainly achieved plenty in late 2021 in terms of sustainability. Want to know more about it? We have got you covered!  Below, we cover the news on how Tilos Greece managed to become the world’s first zero waste island and more.

Tilos Greece news: how did it become the first zero waste island in the world?

I am fairly sure that not a lot of people, more specifically our readers, have heard of Tilos Island in Greece. Same here, actually. But you and I have both been clearly missing out on a beaut: quiet and remote, but warm and welcoming.

Tilos has an energy that the Greek islands used to offer in the old days. The people are nice and generous, there are nice paths that you can wander around on foot to isolated beaches and everything is near to you.

– SecretGreece

What is arguably more impressive than the island’s beauty, however, is its “zero waste” island moniker. With its 500 permanent island inhabitants, no large bins can be seen on the streets. You will see no landfill, as well. In addition to this – waste burying, along with plastic bags, simply does not exist in Tilos. How did they achieve that?

For starters, the island of Tilos along with Polygreen, a Piraeus-based network of companies promoting a circular economy, has implemented a waste management program called Just Go Zero that allows its local community to dispose of almost all types of waste through a sorting and recycling system.

Tilos Greece news: how does the Just Go Zero program work?

The locals, both residents and businesses, start off the program by sorting their waste. They have 3 categories available to sort their waste: recyclable materials, non-recyclable materials and bio-waste.

No one gets left behind in the Just Go Zero program. The sustainability news on Tilos Greece mentions that all 350 households, the municipality and businesses participate in the program. They all receive different selection bags with QR codes that they can use to collect waste with. In addition, they have a mobile app that they can use to track their contribution to the zero waste initiative Tilos implemented.

As the locals have sorted and stored their waste, collectors come to every door on the island on certain days of the week. They see their busiest in the summer when they accommodate many tourists.

Municipal waste is delivered to the island’s circular innovation centre. Before being a circular innovation centre, the area was formerly a landfill site. In the facility, waste is sorted and prepared for recycling, composting, reusing or sent for incineration.

How successful is the program? Answer: very much. The results from Just Go Zero Tilos are already impressive with more than 85% of the Island’s waste recovered and composted.

Self-sufficient energy in Tilos

To add to this Tilos Greece news, the island also has a self-sufficient energy system which includes wind turbines, photovoltaic panels, and a battery energy storage system. Moreover, the system produces enough electricity to cover the island’s energy needs, which they previously acquired from diesel generators.

In addition, the island has replaced its traditional diesel-powered vehicles with electric or hybrid ones, which includes cars, scooters, and bicycles. The renewable energy system powers the vehicles, making them emissions-free.

Waster’s final thoughts on this Tilos Greece zero waste island news

Tilos, Greece’s journey to become a “zero waste” island certainly captures the idea of creating a sustainable future for its people. Through their commitment and dedication, this small yet determined island is demonstrating the potential of resource recovery practices and  renewable technology in order to create their vision of a future that is both prosperous and clean.

Moreover, the success of programs such as Just Go Zero demonstrates how local responsibility has global impact, with other places around the world also taking strides to reduce their waste production. So, we think it’s time for more communities around the world to start thinking more holistically about waste management and make more sustainable choices.

So, what are your thoughts about the Just Go Zero program of Tilos Greece? Share your ideas in the comments section below!

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