It manages the treatment of waste from the two million inhabitants living in the Prefecture and this is a very important task.
Recycling systems in Thessaloniki Prefecture
FODSA widely encourage the inhabitants of the Prefecture to recycle waste and to reduce the volumes of municipal waste currently sent for landfill. They have provided blue coloured 1100 litre containers for the deposit of mixed recyclables, for example, paper, cardboard, ferrous and non ferrous steel cans as well as plastics (PET, HDPE TETRAPAK and LDPE). The blue 1100 litre containers are in communal collection points, next to 660 and 1100 litre green containers for non recyclable waste.
The City of Thessaloniki collect the mixed recyclables from the blue 1100 litre containers on behalf of FODSA using a fleet of HFAISTOS STEFANOU 16 cubic metre rear loading waste collection vehicles mounted onto Mercedes Axor and DAF LF 15 and 18 tonne two axle chassis. They are fitted with a bin lift with comb and trunnion arms compliant to DIN 30700 and DIN 30740 standards for emptying the blue 1100 litre containers.
The collection service uses a driver and two operatives. The blue 1100 litre containers are positioned at the rear of the collection vehicles by the operatives so they can be emptied by the vehicles’ lifting equipment. Once the containers have been emptied, the crew return them to the communal collection point before moving on to the next one.
FODSA also provide the blue coloured igloos for the deposit of mixed coloured glass bottles and jars. These are evident outside hotels, apartments, multi occupant dwellings, restaurants and night clubs, where large volumes of glass bottles are produced from beer and wine consumption. The City of Thessaloniki provides a tipper truck with a crane fitted behind the cab to empty the igloos on a regular basis. This stops any cross contamination with other recyclable materials from the abrasiveness of the glass which could affect their output quality for reprocessors.
Once the dry recyclables have been collected from the blue 1100 containers and the blue igloos, the recyclable materials are delivered to a materials recycling facility in Sindos in Thessaloniki Prefecture. The paper, cardboard, ferrous and non ferrous metals and the plastics (PET, HDPE, TETRAPACK and LDPE) are separated by eddy current separators before being baled for transporting to reprocessors. The mixed coloured glass bottles and jars are delivered to a glass processor where the glass is source separated into separate colours for melting and producing new glass materials such as bottles and jars. The reject material from the Sindos facility is baled and taken to the sanitary landfill site for disposal once all of the recyclable materials have been extracted.
FODSA help Greece move its waste up the waste hierarchy complying fully with the Revised Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC) and helping the country improve its recycling rate and provide a closed loop system for its recyclable materials, thus contributing to the circular economy.
FODSA also provide collection points at shopping centres, public buildings and also offices for the collection of batteries for recycling, helping to prevent them being sent to landfill and helping to comply with The Amended Batteries Directive (2013/56/EU). The collection of waste electronic and electrical equipment, such as worn out fridges, freezers and TV’S, is also provided for the community, which helps Greece comply with the Recast of the WEEE Directive (2012/19/EU).
