A new working group has been formed by the Union of Cyprus municipalities (UCM) to collaborate with the ministry of agriculture on implementing the “Pay as you throw” waste management scheme.

The decision was taken during a UCM meeting today. According to the UCM President, Andreas Vyras, the group includes the mayors of Amathus, Kyriakos Xydias; Kourion, Pantelis Georgiou; Nicosia, Charalambos Prontzos; and Aradippou, Christodoulos Partou.

Speaking to the Cyprus news agency (CNA), Xydias explained the group’s mission is to address 20 critical issues related to the scheme. These issues were highlighted by the UCM in a recent meeting with the Minister of Agriculture, Maria Panayiotou.

Monthly meetings will be held between the UCM team and the ministry to tackle operational and financial challenges hindering the programme’s rollout, Xydias confirmed. He emphasised the urgency of finding practical solutions, as existing ministry plans face significant obstacles.

Regarding the timeline, Xydias said the ministry is responsible for convening meetings after being informed about the group’s formation. He noted that no specific deadline has been set, given the complexity of the issues.

This delay comes after the European Union’s summer deadline for the scheme’s implementation passed last year. While acknowledging the urgency, Xydias said resolving the numerous challenges will require time.

The “Pay as you throw” initiative aims to improve waste management by encouraging residents to reduce waste through financial incentives. However, achieving its goals depends on overcoming these pressing hurdles.