Μay 2019
The opening ceremony of the Recycling Multi-site of the Recycling & Environmental Education Park of Ioannina, created by the National Collective System REWARDING RECYCLING in partnership with the Metropolis of Ioannina and the Archdiocese of Athens charity Apostoli, was conducted with great success by His Beatitude the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, Ieronymos II.
His Beatitude the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, Ieronymos II, performed a blessing, joined by His Eminence the Metropolitan of Ioannina, Maximos
Also at the ceremony were the Director of the charity Apostoli and the Civil Governor of Mount Athos, Kostis Dimtsas; His Eminence the Metropolitan of Arta Kallinikos; the Deputy Minister of Education, Meropi Tzoufi; the European Commission Honorary Director for circular economy in the islands Georges Kremlis; the Governor of Epirus, Alexandros Kachrimanis; the Mayor of Ioannina, Thomas Begas; representatives of agencies and clergy of the Holy Metropolis of Ioannina.
Many important environmental, educational and social objectives will be achieved through the activities of the park, since it will be visited daily by citizens recycling plastic, metal and glass packaging, and especially schoolchildren, teachers and young people aware of the benefits of recycling and the cyclical economy.
“We saw with our own eyes a very advanced effort ... with a clear objective and expectations. What was stressed and what we have all understood is that things that sully and spoil our environment can be made useful, but also that through these useless things, ways can be found to help people who are suffering.”
He urged “all the bodies collaborating in this effort to continue their work in the face of those who advise them to do the opposite,” using a phrase from his favourite book, “the dogs bark but the caravan goes on”.
“What we are experiencing and doing here with Rewarding Recycling and what is starting today on this site is part of an integrated plan, which we hope will become the first circular economy programme for the environment to be implemented in Greece but also in Europe, with volunteer, educational and recycling actions, so that we can educate young people in Ioannina and all Greece who will visit this site, so that we can have a clean city, but also young people who are environmentally aware.”
“I am very happy to be here today at the Recycling and Environmental Education Park of Ioannina, which was created by the national agency REWARDING RECYCLING, in partnership with Apostoli and the Holy Metropolis of Ioannina.
I am especially pleased that Apostoli is implementing the vision of His Beatitude and contributing both to the support of our fellow human beings and to the protection of the environment through recycling.
For us at Apostoli, our contribution to environmental education and boosting the environmental awareness of young people and especially schoolchildren, is an important priority, since children are the best ambassadors for changing the environmental behaviour of the whole family and promoting recycling in this country.
To this end, and in partnership with the national agency REWARDING RECYCLING, we have developed the Integrated Programme of Environmental Education and Recycling Reward Actions, entitled Mission: Man and the Environment, while we will immediately be developing new recycling reward actions.”
“Following two years of enormous success since the first Recycling and Environmental Education Park in Greece – but also in Europe – started operating in Agioi Anargyroi, Attica, and a few months after a second park opened in Langada, Thessaloniki, we are now proceeding with the rapid roll-out of this important initiative, which is a milestone in the recycling process in this country, with the creation of this Recycling Multi-site at the Recycling and Environmental Education Park of Ioannina.
We are particularly pleased that we have installed and will operate the high-tech Recycling Rewarding Multicentre at the Recycling and Environmental Education Park of Ioannina, making Greece only the second country, after Sweden, where it has operated.”
… because Greece can lead the way in the recycling industry!
… because the environment is a matter for everyone!