Newsroom
Frustration is mounting among residents of Pentakomo, a community increasingly burdened by severe environmental degradation linked to nearby waste management operations. Locals say the situation has become intolerable, citing daily exposure to pollution and mismanaged waste near the Integrated Waste Management Facility (OEDA).
Community leader Giorgos Oikonomou has raised serious concerns about the site’s operations, claiming that its biological treatment unit is currently non-functional. As a result, large quantities of untreated waste are reportedly being buried, a practice he warns poses significant long-term risks to both the environment and public health.
Compounding the issue, a private company, operating under a temporary permit from the Department of Environment, has been stockpiling recyclable materials in an adjacent open area. According to Oikonomou, these materials include all recycling collected by GreenDot from both Paphos and Limassol. He alleges that the waste is left exposed, where workers sift through it to remove unsuitable items.
Strong winds frequently scatter lightweight materials such as plastic and paper across the surrounding landscape, littering hillsides and valleys far beyond the facility itself. This widespread dispersal of waste has intensified concerns about environmental contamination across the region.
Oikonomou has described the site as the most serious environmental threat in Cyprus, warning that public patience is running out. Speaking publicly, he stressed that the people of Pentakomo deserve respect and proper living conditions, emphasizing that they are being treated unfairly despite having the same rights as any other citizens.
Local anger continues to grow, with increasing calls for immediate government intervention to address what residents see as a worsening environmental and public health crisis.ected from the public. Workers at the site are reportedly sorting through the piles in search of items that cannot be recycled.
