A Critical Review of Municipal Solid Waste Legislation and Compliance in Greece- In the Context of the EU Landfill Directive

Abstract

Greece has been a full member of the European Union since 1981. The country currently produces about 4.5 million tonnes of municipal and commercial waste annually, equivalent to a per capita waste generation rate of between 400/500 kilograms. Of the total amount of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) generated in 2010, 80% was landfilled contrary to the expectations of the EU landfill directives. In this respect, Greece was among the few EU countries that missed the target of diverting 75% of 1995 levels of biodegradable waste from landfills. Since then, the country has continued to struggle in achieving the minimum targets of the Landfill Directive. This paper critically reviews MSW legislation and compliance in Greece, from the context of the EU Landfill Directive (1999/31/EC). The paper recommends drastic actions to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill in Greece, if the EU Directive (1999/31/EC) target for 2020 of 35% were to be realised. The paper also recommends encouragement of greater participation in recycling by citizens to meet the 50% recycling target set by the Revised Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC).