Plastic, metal, and TetraPak packaging can take hundreds of years to decompose, polluting our cities, forests, and oceans. But together, we can make a change! Proper waste disposal is one of the simplest yet most impactful steps we can take to protect our planet. By recycling, we reduce pressure on landfills, conserve valuable resources, and help preserve our ecosystems.

What is PMD?

PMD — is an abbreviation for plastic, metal and beverage cartons (TetraPak and similar). The PMD recycling programme in Cyprus aims to reduce waste and encourage recycling of these materials.

PMD materials

• Plastic: water bottles, bags, food containers, yogurt cups, shampoo bottles and other types of plastic packaging.
• Metal: aluminum products such as soda cans, beer cans and other tin products.
• TetraPak packaging: cartons for juices, long-life milk, plant milk, tomato paste and other similar packaging.

Collection schedule:
To find out the collection schedule in your area, use the RecyclingCy app or the map on the Green Dot website. Simply enter your address and you will find out the exact day when collection takes place.

Important! Remember to clean and compress the packaging before disposal — this will make recycling even more efficient and environmentally friendly.

Did you know that recycling paper helps save a huge amount of resources? For example, by recycling just one ton of paper, we save 17 trees and 26.5 cubic meters of water. Let's recycle paper and make the island cleaner!

Accepted for recycling:

• Cardboard boxes and paper packaging
• Newspapers, magazines, notepads
• Advertising leaflets and office paper

Collection schedule:
To find out the waste collection schedule in your area, use the RecyclingCy app or the map on the Green Dot website. Just enter your address and you will find out the exact day when the collection takes place.

It is important to remember that proper preparation and sorting of waste helps to recycle it efficiently, reducing the amount of waste in landfills.

Glass can be recycled an infinite number of times without losing its quality. So when you have an empty bottle or jar, don't rush to throw it away - send it for recycling!

Accepted for recycling:

• Glass bottles and jars (without lids)
• Glassware
• Vials/bottles

How to properly dispose of glass:
If you have glass to recycle, look for the green bell-shaped bins with the words ГYALI/GLASS written on them. These bins are specifically designed for collecting glass containers.

Glass removal is unfortunately not included in the curbside collection service. This means that you will need to take your glass to one of the green bins indicated on the map in the RecyclingCy app.

Why throw away clothes and shoes when you can give them a second chance? Many things that we no longer need can be useful, because textiles can be reused or recycled, reducing waste. If you have clothes or shoes that you no longer wear, do not rush to throw them away — send them for recycling or give them to charity.

Accepted to recycling:

• Clothes (in any condition)
• Shoes (pairs)
• Bags
• Belts
• Textiles (curtains, sheets, etc.)

Not accepted to recycling:

• Dirty or wet clothes
• Materials containing chemicals

How to properly dispose of clothes and shoes:
If you have clothes or shoes you want to dispose of, look out for the green containers with the PASYKAF label or the purple Anakyklos Textiles Ltd containers. These bins are specifically designed for collecting textiles that will either be donated to charity or recycled. Use Google Maps to find your nearest PASYKAF Clothes Collection point or Anakyklos Textiles Ltd containers.

If old equipment is thrown away as ordinary garbage, toxic substances can get into groundwater and harm the ecosystem. In Cyprus, WEEE (WEEE Electrocyclosis Cyprus Ltd) collects and recycles old electrical appliances. Any device that runs on electricity or batteries is subject to recycling.

Accepted to recycling:

• Large and small electrical appliances
• IT and telecommunications equipment
• Consumer electronics
• Lighting fixtures, including fluorescent lamps
• Electronic instruments
• Toys, sports and entertainment equipment
• Medical devices
• Monitoring and control devices
• Vending machines
• Ink/toner cartridges

How to dispose of electrical/electronic equipment:
When buying a new appliance: Shops participating in the WEEE program are required to accept old appliances when buying a new one on a one-to-one basis. Some shops also offer free removal of large old items (such as a refrigerator) from your house.

Without buying a new appliance: Shops participating in the WEEE Cyprus program accept 1-2 old appliances, including without the obligatory purchase of a new one. The main thing is that the shop sells similar equipment.
Companies participating and/or co-founding WEEE Cyprus place a special sticker on their stores. You can see the participants of the program and the addresses of their stores on the WEEE Cyprus website.

What to do with bulky waste that does not fit into a regular trash bin? There is a solution! Green Point is a network of waste collection points throughout Cyprus, where you can hand in those types of waste that cannot be disposed of through regular containers. This is a completely free and convenient service for all residents of the island.

Green Points accept:

• Construction materials (tiles, plumbing, mortar)
• Large waste (furniture, mattresses, carpets)
• Household appliances (refrigerators, washing machines, TVs)
• Electrical and electronic equipment
• Plastic packaging (styrofoam, plastic bottles)
• Plastic products (toys, plastic chairs, watering cans)
• Plant waste (tree trimmings, bushes)
• Paper and cardboard (packaging, magazines, books, office paper)
• Glass (bottles, cups)
• Aluminum
• Scrap metal (radiators and other metal objects)
• Wood (wooden packaging, toys)
• Fabrics (clothing, curtains)
• Toys (plastic, wooden, metal, electronics)
• X-rays
• Thermometers
• Medicines
• Light bulbs
• Cleaning products (not containing hazardous substances)
• Paints, inks, adhesives, resins
• Edible oils and fats (frying oils)
• Machine oils (for domestic use)
• Automotive and industrial batteries
• Batteries and accumulators (for domestic use)

Even unwanted items can be useful to others. If you have unwanted but still in good condition items, you can donate them to Green Point. They will be made available to those in need or donated to non-profit organizations.

How Green Points work:

• Free delivery: All residents can deliver their waste to Green Point points free of charge. Each person can bring up to 50 kg of waste at a time.
• Separate collection: An important aspect of Green Point's work is the separate collection of waste to ensure its proper recycling or safe disposal. The points have separate containers for each type of waste.

You can find a full list of Green Points in Cyprus with addresses and phone numbers here. The points are located in different cities so that everyone can use them.