Implementing the Landfill Directive in Greece: problems, perspectives and lessons to be learned

Due to the increasing pressure from the European Union, in the last decade the waste management landscape in Greece has been going through drastic changes, especially regarding policies and legislation. Shifts in management practices, however, have been considerably slower. A major component of this shift is the requirement by the Landfill Directive (LD) to divert increasing quantities of biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) from landfilling. Making use of the four-year extension allowed to countries heavily reliant on landfills, Greece will have to achieve the LD diversion targets in the period 2010–2020. In this paper the main aspects of the LD are outlined and critically placed in the context of the EU waste policy and the priorities of the new Waste Directive. The current state of waste management in Greece is presented with the main planning for new BMW treatment infrastructure. The complex and multifaceted barriers to successful implementation of waste policies in Greece are discussed using the case study of the LD, in an effort to draw lessons for the New Member States.