A LOW MUNICIPAL RECYCLING RATE
The European Union’s Environmental Implementation Review that took place in 2023, revealed that Cyprus currently has one of the lowest municipal recycling rates within the European Union. It has also been identified that Cyprus, which is one of the last countries in theEuropean Union without a landfill tax, has an overal lack of green initiatives and has an extreme reliance on landfills.
Cypriot authorities, as a direct response, have introduced a new initiative. This new initiative makes up part of the island’s new overal green tax reforms. Part of the measures, under its current recovery and resilience plans, include the introduction of a new Cyprus landfill tax for municipal waste. The new tax will start at €35 and then gradually increase to €70 per tonne. The goal is to align with European Union targets and reduce landfill waste from its current levels of nearly 60% to 10% by 2035.Â
The Cyprus landfill tax will rise by €5 each year. These rises in price will continue until the maximum rate of €70 is reached. Once Cyprus meets its 10% target, the levy will be discontinued. It is intended that revenue from the tax will be used to fund waste management projects and improve waste disposal methods. The tax aims to promote recycling, and organic waste separation, and to ultimately discourage landfill use.
