The government lacks the ability to implement plans for environmental protection, House environment committee chairman and Akel MP Nikos Kettiros said after the parliamentary debate on the Green Dot system on Wednesday.

“They have told us that the study on what will happen to Nicosia’s waste takes a year to complete, a whole year, while garbage continues to be buried in Paphos, while garbage continues to be buried in Pentakomo, while garbage continues to be buried at the Koshi plant,” Kettiros said, claiming that the government lacked the capacity to implement its waste management plans.

While in the last months, the recyclables of Limassol and Paphos had been exported for waste management abroad, half of those brought to the Koshi waste management facility were buried right on the spot, Kettiros said.

“There are significant problems with waste management, especially in Koshi, where recyclables are being transported. The area is overwhelmed, and today it was confirmed that a third cell may be required,” said Disy MP Prodromos Alambritis, echoing Kettiros’ concerns.

Alambritis suggested the implementation of solutions applied in other countries such as a remunerative waste fee, adding that a solution to make the broader public participate in the collective recycling system was urgently needed.

“We call on the government to assume its responsibilities for coordination, control and supervision, so that waste ends up where it should,” he concluded.

Established in 2010, the waste management plant in Koshi receives all the municipal waste from the districts of Larnaca, Famagusta and Nicosia. In 2024, reports showed that recycling targets were not being met at the Koshi landfill, where Green Dot, the non-profit organisation handling the collection of recyclables unloads its PMD recyclables since the destruction of its own waste management plant in Yeri in 2023.