EEAA is an important partner of the circular economy in Greece

For the operation of the blue bin system and its successes in packaging recycling, the modernization of the process to optimize recycling results, the differences that exist between recycling and packaging recycling, as well as the big issue of tax evasion, the President of EEAA Mr. Michalis Economakis in the panel entitled “Sustainable Packaging and Circular Economy Challenges” in the context of Delphi Economic Forum VII.

The President of the Hellenic Recycling Utilization Company (EEAA) & Executive Chairman of the Petros Petros Petropoulos Group, Mr. Michalis Oikonomakis focused on the biggest issue facing packaging recycling today, that of tax evasion of companies in the sector, which are not contracted with any system. According to the official data of the state, the amount of contribution evasion amounts to 22 million per year, ie at a rate of 45%. The task of covering the amounts of contribution evasion ends up being burdened by companies that are fulfilling their obligation, an issue for which the State and the Public Administration have a sovereign responsibility to deal. An issue that, according to Mr. Economakis, EEAA has highlighted in the most official way in the State and hopes that it will be dealt with effectively in the end. At the same time, he characteristically noted that while the tax evasion in European countries is of the order of 4%, in Greece it reaches 45%, with these resources eventually being deprived of recycling projects and there the intervention of the state is necessary.

Among other things, Mr. Economakis clarified the difference between recycling and packaging recycling and the different targets that are set per year for recycling as a whole and for those that relate exclusively to the recycling of packaging. He referred to the recycling achievement rates resulting from the blue bin system and the coverage of the national target, with EEAA achieving packaging recycling twice its obligation. In addition, he spoke about EEAA’s plans for the next day in packaging recycling, through the development of innovative equipment, modernization of vehicles, the network and sorting centers.

Important personalities from the recycling industry and the circular economy were placed on the subject. Specifically, the Mayor of Trikala & President of KEDE Mr. Dimitris Papastergiou, stressed the need to find a way to cover the tax evasion, by the Municipalities, while noting that although mistakes have been made at the local government level, the societies that acted in recyclers are currently enjoying better results. Mr. Manolis Grafakos, Secretary General of the Ministry of Energy announced that the State is one step before reaching an agreement with the EU on the financing of waste treatment plants both for the creation of new ones and for the modernization of the existing ones, while he also announced the establishment of an independent control authority for waste management.

Finally, EXPRA CEO Joachim Quoden stated that in order for recycling to succeed, everyone, the state, the institutions and the systems, need to work for a common goal, while Mr. Athanasios Polychronopoulos, Founder & CEO of Polygreen Group of Companies noted that in order to see results, recycling systems need to take a holistic approach, based on changing consumer culture and habits. With the collective cooperation of institutions, the state and systems, such as the EEAA, we can step forward and set an example.