Newsroom
The Union of Municipalities has voiced strong opposition to the government’s plan to introduce a landfill tax on waste, warning that the additional cost will ultimately fall on households.
The issue emerged after a meeting at the Ministry of Agriculture, held within the working group overseeing the rollout of the “Pay As You Throw” system. According to municipal representatives, instead of addressing long-standing infrastructure gaps that prevent proper waste sorting at source, the ministry informed them that it intends to submit a proposal to the Cabinet to impose the new tax, citing the Recovery and Resilience funding framework.
Kyriakos Xydias, Mayor of Amathounta and head of the Union’s waste management working group, said municipalities reject the measure, arguing that the state itself bears responsibility for current failures in waste processing. He pointed specifically to the Pentakomo waste facility, managed by the ministry, where around 80% of waste is currently being buried, despite targets requiring a much lower landfill rate.
Xydias warned that municipalities will not be able to absorb the new charge and would be forced to pass it on to residents. He said the Union plans to bring the matter before its Executive Committee and will decide on further action, stressing that local authorities will not agree to what he described as an unfair financial burden caused by government shortcomings.
He also criticized the Department of Environment for failing to openly inform the public that the government’s current waste strategy is expected to significantly increase overall management costs, describing the proposed landfill tax as a major new expense for every household.
Union President Andreas Vyras echoed the concerns, saying municipalities are already struggling with high per-ton costs at waste treatment facilities and cannot handle additional fees. He warned the tax would be financially damaging for local authorities and politically problematic, since municipalities could be blamed for imposing charges despite not being responsible for the underlying problem.
Both officials also addressed the “Pay As You Throw” program, saying it could be effective only if implemented properly. Vyras cautioned that without adequate preparation and the necessary supporting measures, the scheme could instead lead to higher costs.
Xydias added that the original design of the system relied on extracting valuable organic waste, but he said the necessary processing facilities have still not been built. As a result, municipalities are being asked to operate extra collection routes to separate organic waste while also paying additional “gate fees” to dispose of it, costs he described as unacceptable and symptomatic of broader mismanagement.
