The Conference on the Circular Economy started at the packed Cultural Conference Center of Heraklion

With the presence of leading speakers from the relevant state bodies involved in waste management,

representatives of the academic community, Regional and Local Government, companies and industry bodies, started the Conference on "Regional Solid Waste Management Planning - Path to the Circular Economy" at the Cultural Conference Center of the Municipality of Heraklion.

The Conference was opened by the President of ESDAK. and Deputy Mayor of Heraklion Haris Mamoulakis, who emphasized: "I welcome you to Crete, I welcome you to Heraklion and to our Conference on Regional Solid Waste Management Planning and the transition to a Circular Economy.

This conference is organized in collaboration with the Regional and Local Government and is addressed to those who actively participate in the management of solid waste in the Region of Crete. We thought it was the most suitable moment to present our experience, to highlight all aspects of national and regional planning and to consider how to integrate the principles of the circular economy into it.

First, we want to discuss the progress made since the implementation of regional planning, identify any implementation difficulties and prescribe the necessary adjustments required.

Secondly, we highlight the importance of the Circular Economy and the effects of its adoption in the design and implementation of solid waste management policies.

Third, we present innovative projects and good waste management practices in progress to highlight the real possibilities created by adopting innovations and moving towards a circular economy.

Ladies and gentlemen,

ESDAK is in its 17th year of operation and its report is undeniably positive.

The maturation and implementation of dozens of environmental infrastructure projects, the operation of facilities and the promotion of innovative solutions, have contributed to upgrading the quality of life of citizens and strengthening the local economy.

During the last three years we have made the necessary modifications to the existing regional planning and project planning so that it is in line with the National Planning and the European guidelines for the circular economy. Through European funding we plan the future.

Our vision is to create the foundations for a circular economy on the island based on smart, sustainable development. Among other things, we aim through our actions to stimulate the regional economy and create many new jobs.

For us, the challenge is sorting at source, recycling and recovery. There the center of gravity of all our efforts has shifted as the success of the venture largely determines the costs that will be borne by the citizens. That is why in the near future, in collaboration with the municipalities, we will develop bin systems for the separate collection of paper, plastic, metal and glass, while expanding the use of the brown bin for the separately collected organic load. The goal and vision is always Zero Waste.

The ESDAK with its technocratic structure is moving with determination towards the circular economy of tomorrow. We combine the use of new technologies and methods with the diffusion of social innovation because only with the participation of citizens and the activation of productive forces can the challenges of the future in the environment and the local economy be effectively addressed.

We hope that the Conference will be an important stage for upgrading regional planning, mobilizing local government officials, informing citizens about the circular economy and the necessary adjustments in their behavior, as well as for activating the business community.

I would like to close this welcome by warmly thanking:

The Regional Governor of Crete, Mr. Stavros Arnautakis, as well as the President of the PED of Crete and Mayor of Heraklion, Vassilis Lambrino, for the support and patronage of the leading bodies of the Self-Government in this endeavor.

One by one, all the speakers of our Conference. Their knowledge and experience are valuable and we are very happy that they will share it with us.

My partners in the Unified Waste Management Association of Crete. They have been working hard all the time leading up to this Conference and as you will see, they have done an excellent job.

All of you who are present today in this beautiful and functional hall of the Cultural Conference Center of the Municipality of Heraklion.

Ladies and gentlemen, friends, with the hope that the Circular Economy will soon become an integral part of our daily life, I announce the opening of the Conference on Regional Solid Waste Management Planning and the transition to the Circular Economy".

This was followed by the greeting of the representative of the President of the Hellenic Parliament, Nikos Voutsis, by the Member of Parliament of Heraklion, Sokratis Vardakis, the Vice President of the European Parliament, Dimitris Papadimoulis, the Secretary of the Political Committee of the National Democratic Party. and representative of the leader of the Opposition Officer Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Member of Parliament of Heraklion Lefteris Avgenakis, as well as the supporters of the event, the Regional Governor of Crete Stavros Arnautakis and the President of the PED of Crete and Mayor of Heraklion Vassilis Lambrinos.

In particular, the Regional Governor of Crete Stavros Arnautakis announced the financing of the necessary maturation studies by the Region of Crete for infrastructure, landscape architecture, energy saving studies and the innovation and research center as well as the implementation of the program agreement between the Technical University of Crete National Technical University and E.S.D.A.K. emphasizing that: "Environmental protection is a priority for the Region. Funding by the Region of the necessary maturation studies for the infrastructure, landscape architecture, energy saving studies and the innovation and research center.

It was preceded by the welcome of the Regional Governor to the Authorities, the MPs, the representatives of the Self-Government as well as the executives of the European Union who are present at the two-day conference stating that "the Circular Economy Park will be a point of reference for applied research in the field of environment as Crete has all the conditions to turn into an active laboratory of environmental innovation. For the Region of Crete, the protection of the environment in Crete is the first priority and for this reason we committed all the necessary resources for the maturation of the projects, taking political initiatives for the immediate inclusion of the projects in financial programs. Our goal is in the current programming period to have completed all the infrastructure projects foreseen by the design" said Mr. Arnautakis characteristically while clarifying that, in order to increase the efficiency of resources and reduce waste, new management models, strong social alliances and trusted partnerships.

Referring to the strategy of smart specialization in the PEP of Crete 2014-2020, the Regional Governor added: "Within the context of the strategy of smart specialization, we are strengthening innovative actions for the environment and energy. We encourage collaboration between research institutions and businesses with the aim of creating new products and services with high added value. At the same time, we have allocated significant resources for the implementation of green spots in all municipalities through the BAA and the OHE within the framework of the PEP 2014-20. In this context, initiatives such as the creation of the Circular Economy Environmental Park will have the full support of the Region. In particular, we believe that with the participation of research organizations, innovative applications could be developed for the utilization of biogas, aeration and more efficient management of the residue. The transition to the circular economy is a challenge but at the same time it is also an opportunity for the development of new activities and the creation of jobs".

At the end of his speech, the Regional Governor of Crete made a reference to the late Deputy Regional Governor Virginia Manasaki, who, as he characteristically said, "had a decisive role in the planning of waste management on the island".

The President of P.E.D. of Crete and Mayor of Heraklion, Vassilis Lambrinos, in his greeting said: "Waste management is a major issue for modern societies. The ever-growing population of urban centers, the proliferation of consumer goods in the Western world, the recklessly burdened environment of the earth, intensify the problems and exhaust resources and possibilities in countries that are not adequately prepared to provide solutions to the major issue of waste management.

The field of the "circular economy" (which is directly related to the handling of raw materials, biosystems, and the consequences of development), presupposes a redesign and a new approach to the use, removal, and reuse of material goods in every possible and innovative way . Actions that require the collective progress of societies and the consolidation of a different mentality in every citizen.

At the two-day ESDAK Conference, attended by speakers with experience, knowledge and expertise, international trends and best practices in the fields of "circular economy" and waste management are sure to be presented and recorded.

The speeches, the proposals, the conclusions will contribute to the adequate information of all of us but also to the formation of our next actions and the necessary infrastructures.

In the Municipality of Heraklion, I will briefly mention the continuous effort to respond to the pressing needs of waste management, despite the understaffing of the cleaning service. We are renewing our fleet of garbage trucks, and we are developing multilaterally recycling. By decision of the Municipal Council, very timely since June 2015, we have been in favor of the model: Sorting at the source, Recycling, Recovery, Reuse and Composting in order to reduce the final quantities that will be sent for final disposal in landfills.

Thus we have drawn up and are putting our own plan on track for implementation, which is fully harmonized with both the revised regional plan (PESDAK) and the National plan (ESDA), which provides for:

– The transitional re-operation of the Bio-drying Unit, until the conversion of the existing Waste Pre-treatment Unit (WPU) into a Waste Treatment Unit.

- The creation of the "Circular Economy Environmental Park", in an area of 270 acres in the area of Nea Alikarnassos, which, in addition to hosting infrastructure related to waste management, will also function as an area for environmental education, recreation, walking and cycling , also: as a green spot, an information center for citizens, but also a seat of educational institutions for the production of innovative circular economy proposals and for the development of new environmental technologies. This project was selected and financed by the European Union as the 2nd best among 312 proposals from all over Europe, and, together with the creation of 250 new jobs, will constitute a model site in Heraklion, in the field of circular economy .

– The development of all those infrastructures that include: the mechanical sorting of Municipal Mixed Waste (MSW), the production of upgraded gas as well as the production of compost.

We have drawn up our own Local Waste Management Plan where, in addition to the development of green points, information and awareness actions are also included which we have already started and are on a further development trajectory in the next period by activating financial tools such as BAA.

But beyond these, we also activate and utilize all available from the European Union such as:

the "Life F4F-Food from Food" program, which was awarded at the Greek Green Awards 2018. A program, based on which food waste from hotels and restaurants, instead of ending up in landfill, is turned into animal feed.

We also participate in the ACUA program. A program to place state-of-the-art composters in city neighborhoods.

Finally, we are preparing the operating program of an "Autonomous Robotic System for Municipal Waste Recycling". A program that strengthens synchronization, bringing together ESDAK with DEDISA, the waste management body of the Chania Regional Unit.

We will be able to discuss details of these programs during this two-day event.

Good luck in the work of the Conference".

A greeting was also addressed on behalf of the President of K.E.D.E. Giorgou Patoulis, the Mayor of Katerini and President of the Spatial Planning and Environment Committee of K.E.D.E. Savvas Chionidis and the Vice-President of EDSNA Aphrodite Biza, while relevant letters were sent by Heraklion Member of Parliament Yiannis Michalogiannakis and MEP Manolis Kefalogiannis.

It is recalled that the Conference, which is being held under the auspices of the Region of Crete, the Regional Union of Municipalities of Crete and the Municipality of Heraklion, as well as with the support of the Center for European Policy and Regional Development of the University of Crete, will examine the international trends in promoting the policies of circular economy as well as their implementation prospects at national and regional level.

In particular, it aims to:

1. Information on the course of implementation of the European Union's guidelines for approaching the goals that have been set.
2. The highlighting of the opportunities that emerge from the change in the institutional and financial framework of the projects, the development and integration of innovations in solid waste management.
3. The presentation of best practices through pilot programs and comprehensive planning at the regional level.
4. The expanded discussion on the design of the required infrastructure, highlighting how Local Management Plans contribute to the achievement of Regional Planning objectives.

Gold sponsors of the conference are the companies Thalis Environmental Services and TERNA ENERIAKI, sponsors the companies VKC, SYCHEM and J&P avax and supporters the companies Citipost, KAFSIS and Helesi Perivallontiki.