The National Collective Alternative Management and Recycling System of Packaging REWARDING RECYCLING is a non-profit organization exclusively serving the public interest, approved by the Ministry of Environment and Energy, whose mission is to organize and promote recycling of packaging throughout the country.
Our principles are based on the conviction for sustainable and profitable environmental development on a national and European level, with the focus being on Humanity and the respect for the Environment.
REWARDING RECYCLING complies with the stringent standards required by EU and national law and is already harmonized with the requirements of Law 4042/2012 and the Community Directive 2008/98/EK for separately collecting recyclable packaging material in at least 4 separate streams (paper, metal, plastic and glass), which all recyclers have to follow unambiguously from 1 January 2015.
REWARDING RECYCLING implements unique and innovative actions that are based both on European model practices as well as on Greek experiences and distinctive characteristics.
The most important actions that make REWARDING RECYCLING a unique and important factor for the development of packaging recycling in our country are the following:
- Use of high-tech equipment to implement the legal obligation for "Sorting at the Source" in separate packing material streams (known as "recycling kiosks")
- Providing a high reward incentive for each item of packaging deposited (€0.03 for 1 plastic, metal or glass item of packaging).
- Collaboration with Social Solidarity Economy sector for the collection, transport and recycling of packaging.
- Operation of Environmental Education and Recycling Parks to improve environmental behavior and extended recycling practices.
- Implementing innovative actions to raise awareness and to educate citizens through the Rewarding Recycling Ambassador Program, which is currently being led by athlete Giannis Antetokounmpo.
- Collaboration with Local Authorities without them having to commit human resources and at no cost to them
- Collaboration with the Holy Archdiocese of Athens and local Metropolises to strengthen important social and charity works.
The Collective Alternative Management and Recycling System of Packaging REWARDING RECYCLING has the following main objectives, which stem from the objectives of the relevant institutional framework:
- implementation of the strategy, policy, objectives, actions and measures of the National Waste Management Plan (NWMP) ratified by joint decision 51373/4684/25.11.2015 (Β΄ 2706) of the Ministry of Interior and of Administrative Reconstruction and the Deputy Minister of Environment and Energy, approved with Act 49/15.12.2015 (Α΄ 174) of the Council of Ministers, in accordance with Article 31 of Law no. 4342/2015 (Α΄ 143),
- reducing the final disposal of packaging waste by encouraging its recycling in order to reduce energy consumption and consumption of primary raw materials,
- the design and implementation of return (guarantee), collection and recovery programs involving all partaking parties,
- encouraging initiatives to involve the social economy and developing partnerships between local communities and stakeholders in waste management with social participation, social control and the attainment of social consensus being key goals,
- the separation of waste at source, the most promising way of collection, in order to achieve a high level of recycling and recovery of materials,
- the introduction of consumer information programs to adjust its attitude and behavior in the management of packaging,
- to prevent the generation of recycling residues using new technologies
Additional core objectives of the System are:
- Environmental Education for citizens, with an emphasis on young people, which includes both theoretical and practical education aimed at developing environmental awareness and improving environmental behavior,
- no costs and no commitment of human resources for Local Government Organizations,
- increasing the purchasing power of citizens, through the high incentive offered,
- the reduction of the environmental and energy footprint of the recycling process, since the sorting and processing (compression and/or slicing) of the packaging at source significantly reduces the cost of collecting, sorting and transporting packaging waste,
- the strengthening of social goals, through the donation of a reciprocal incentive for social purposes.
As a result of the implementation of all the innovative practices of REWARDING RECYCLING, we achieve extremely important results, namely the following:
- Significant contribution to achieving national quantitative recycling goals. By the end of 2020, REWARDING RECYCLING will have achieved a recycling rate of more than 80% of the quantities assigned to contracted managers.
- Significant contribution to increasing the purchasing power of citizens through the reward incentive offered, amounting to several million euros for the next six years.
- Significant contribution to the creation of new jobs in particular through collaborating Social Solidarity Economy sector.
- An important contribution to the Environmental Education of young people and students, the future of our country, who play an important role in changing the environmental behavior of all the members of a family.
- Significant contribution to investing in the utilization of recycled materials, as large quantities of clean, separately collected at the source, material is of high value and can be utilized within the country and not exported to third countries.