Operating License

The third re-approval of the Operating License of Green Dot Cyprus Public Co Ltd was signed in a simple ceremony, on Friday, June 19, 2020, by Mr. Costas Kadis, the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment. It is valid until June 30, 2026. The Operating License was received by Mr. Michael Spanos, the Chairman of the Board of Green Dot.

The re-approval of the Green Dot Cyprus License renews the State’s trust in Green Dot and the Company’s commitment to continue working conscientiously to serve our fellow citizens for the good name of the country.

The main obligations of the System arising from the renewal of its operation are the following:

The System takes the necessary actions to achieve the quantitative targets set out in Article 6 of the Law on the recovery of materials, recycling or energy recovery of packaging waste for the implementation of the extended liability of the producer.

Specifically, the System until the expiration of its approval (2026), seeks to achieve the following quantitative objectives:

a) 70% maximum recovery and 70% maximum recycling of packaging waste. In order to achieve this goal, the existing measurement methodology must first be followed by the System. With the implementation of the change of methodology, the goal of 70% that has been set will be re-evaluated and will be adjusted accordingly.

b) To achieve recycling of the following specific materials, contained in the packaging waste as follows:

1. 50% per weight, for plastics
2. 25% per weight, for wood
3. 70% per weight, for ferrous metals
4. 50% per weight, for aluminum
5. 70% per weight, for glass
6. 75% per weight, for paper and carton

The goals mentioned on the paper/cardboard, only include the management of the packaging paper without counting the percentage of non-packaging paper. The System should pursue actions that will increase the percentages on materials that have low recycling rates, based on the last annual report submitted, such as for glass, wood and aluminum.

The System should gradually increase the quantitative targets per material, per year considering the final targets. In case of deviation from the objectives, it is expected that the System will provide timely relevant documentation and report as well as the taking of improvement measures.

The System should gradually and annually increase the recycling rates of packaging waste from household.

The System must prepare a study that includes up-to-date analytical data, within one year of the entry into force of this approval, to fully document the quantitative composition of the paper included in both household and commercial/industrial waste units.

The study should document the sampling and the methodology followed by the System for the extraction of paper composition percentages (sample size, seasonality, sampling areas, assumptions, particularities). The study to be submitted in April 2021 to the Competent Authority.

The expansion of the programs helps to increase the coverage rate of the population and to increase the recycling rates. The System must exhaust all efforts of cooperation in new urban areas (door to door) and in rural areas (recycling points) to achieve efficient collection of packaging waste.

The System should submit relevant suggestions and implementation in accordance with the action plan for the expansion planning and/or the universal implementation of the door-to-door collection program.

For remote and sparsely populated areas, the System should make every effort to work together to efficiently collect packaging waste (PMD, Paper, Glass).

The System is obliged to maintain satisfactory infrastructure in density and quality of points (maintenance, cleanliness and design), for the collection of packages, where it operates.

The System for the years 2020 – 2026, must prepare annually and implement a communication strategy for:

(a) the consumers (household sector); and

b) the economic operators involved (industrial / commercial sector);

with the aim of seeking to meet the quantitative targets using a specific fund from the annual budget of the System.

The information program must be implemented in its entirety for entire Cyprus, adapted according to the particularities of each waste stream.

Also, the System must annually inform the Director of the Department of Environment about the actions and the cost of the environmental information and awareness program, but also to send every six months the actions it has taken.

Finally, the System should publish online information on the achievements of waste management targets. More specifically:

(a) the ownership and its members.

(b) the financial contributions paid by the producers per unit sold or tones of product placed on the market; and

(c) the selection process for waste management bodies.