‘Environmental action can be political’

NGOs are leading the way to a cleaner common future for all Cypriots

Despite its small population and tight-knit community, Cyprus has long been one of Europe’s biggest offenders when it comes to rubbish pollution.

In 2017, it ranked second highest in the entire EU for municipal waste generated per person. Fast forward to 2022, and even with improved recycling efforts, Cyprus still dumps a staggering 59 per cent of its waste into landfills instead of recycling it – highlighting a persistent and alarming dependence on landfill disposal.

Amid the disappointing facts, NGOs are leading the way to a cleaner common future for all Cypriots. Despite the country’s small size, there are around 6,500 organisations operating across both northern and southern Cyprus, and with some still struggling for official recognition, the true number is likely even higher.

Together Cyprus, the Green Actıon Movement and AKTI, are three of the most influential NGOs on the island, engaging the public to tackle waste and focus on environmental actions like collecting rubbish and donating used cooking oil. But they don’t stop there. Their actions are preventative, at the forefront of the latest research and constantly taking part in environmental studies into sustainability and waste management.

Within the framework of World Clean-up Day on September 20, a global event brought to Cyprus through the international Let’s Do It movement, connects organisations from both the north and south in a powerful act of unity. Since 2021, it has become a bi-communal event hosted by Together Cyprus in the south, and Green Action Movement in the north.

For Feriha Tel, the Green Action Movement’s leader, this is more than just a cleanup. “It goes beyond the environment – it is becoming a movement to remove borders for the environment through unity and cooperation in Europe’s last divided capital,” Tel said.

A staggering total of 211 counties have participated in World Clean-up Day, with 91 million volunteers of all ages and backgrounds.

The cleanup kicks off at 9.30am on Saturday, September 20, with gatherings at two meeting points: Phaneromeni church in southern Nicosia and Buyuk Han in northern Nicosia. From there, the volunteers will visit all 11 bastions on the old city walls to clean them, before meeting for refreshments at the Home for Cooperation.

Managing director of Let’s Do It Cyprus, Ileana Nicholson, told the Sunday Mail, that their philosophy is simple. “Just 5 per cent of the population taking part in the cleanups can impact the 95 per cent, which will experience a cleaner city.” She said everybody is welcome: the youngest person ever to participate in the cleanup was one year old, while the oldest person was 95 years old, never too late or too early.

When the cleanup started in 2018, hardly anyone showed up, said Nicholson, but they never gave up. Year by year, the event grew, and more people came out to show their love of the environment.

“The breakthrough came when global organisations like the UN started giving shout outs for the community’s efforts.”

The event could have been organised in any part of the island, but Nicosia was selected as the last divided capital in Europe.

“We wanted to meet somewhere neutral; it was unfair that the north was not receiving any environmental attention,” said Nicholson.

At its core, this cleanup day, according to Nicholson, is about coming together. This is the time for everyone to participate, regardless of age, gender or ethnicity. World Clean-up Day 2025 invites everyone to join the global movement for a greener planet, starting with the island’s capital (the whole of it).

AKTI is one of the island’s biggest, leading ocean and sea protection NGOs. Through impactful research and campaigns, they aim to provide answers and tangible solutions to Cyprus’ environmental challenges. They partner with schools, universities and local authorities to set the foundations for a ‘knowledge-based’ society. Above all, they hope to turn research into long-lasting solutions.

Without a doubt, however, one of AKTI’s most well-known initiatives is the project #potavristou (freely translated to: Don’t just sit and watch). September is the month of #potavristou, and it goes years back. Initially implemented in September 2019, as a public spontaneous initiative, it was inspired by AKTI’s research centre to encourage individuals to collect rubbish and report litter.

Since then, the campaign has become a yearly tradition, with participation numbers growing year by year. Starting merely as a humble local event, #potavristou became an international movement with volunteers joining from various countries worldwide.

In total, a staggering 16 tons of litter were collected by 3,200 volunteers from 373 locations across 15 countries during the month of September in 2024 alone.

This is a record AKTI is determined to break this year. Joining is simple. Participants just collect the rubbish they find and count it in. They must share the exact kind of rubbish and how much of it they collected on their Facebook and Instagram pages with the hashtags #potavristou, #akti and #SeaTheChange. Cleanup photos are more than welcome!

In the initiative’s six years, more than 13,200 volunteers have taken part, collecting 93 tons of litter from 1,315 locations in Cyprus and 358 international sites – from Singapore to California, Malta, and Japan. Undoubtedly, participants made this project a global force.

Together Cyprus, the Green Action Movement, and AKTI are leaders in the island’s environmental battle. AKTI’s commitment to fighting pollution and educating the public on matters of sustainability promotes often neglected ideals.

And its bicommunal nature naturally carries another message.

“Environmental action can be political,” Nicholson said.

“From the moment that we share the same island, the same beaches, the same mountain ranges, we must all enjoy the benefits of volunteering equally.”