Waste not, want not
Greece consumes more than it is able to produce. It is also relatively poor in the natural resources necessary for manufacturing and fuel production. This means that it has to import a lot more than it can export, which leads to an endless cycle of borrowing to finance the imports and, consequently, ever-widening deficits that undermine the country’s future development. A natural solution would be to pursue better waste management. An efficient recycling network would reduce the need for a number of materials, as imports would be kept in circulation longer. Plastic bags and bottles, those ubiquitous symbols of waste, can be processed for the extraction of the oil that went into their production. With oil prices at unprecedented highs, garbage dumps across the world are being looked at as mother lodes of valuable resources. It will take a long time for us to see them that way in this country. Greece’s greatest natural resource is the beauty of its seas and countryside. But our seas and rivers are poisoned by the tons of waste, pesticides and fertilizers that we pour into them; our countryside is spoilt (and poisoned) by the garbage that we see everywhere – from the illegal landfills to the junk and cigarette butts thrown out of moving vehicles. You would think the Greeks would make a point of keeping their country beautiful, so as to show it off better and highlight its natural beauty and incomparable historical heritage. Instead, we cover the country in junk – and don’t employ enough people to pick it up. The European Union has been on our backs for years, but it is only now that the end-of-year deadline is upon us – with huge fines to follow – that the government is trying to close the landfills. It will not manage to close all of them. In any case, citizens will keep polluting the country as if its fate were none of their business. Why should they care about recycling when they don’t care about their heritage? You would think that the state – both national and local governments – would take the lead in promoting better use of resources and encouraging the adoption of renewable sources of energy. Instead, the blue bins that have been scattered across Athens and other cities as receptacles of recyclable material have become a symbol of failure: They are not emptied often enough, so that the «recyclable» waste flows over the sides and scatters across the street and sidewalk. Then, because the special trucks don’t come, the regular garbage trucks collect the recyclable material. In all, people get the message that no one cares whether they recycle. In some cities abroad – in Switzerland, for example – residents and local authorities follow a strict waste-removal program, in which people sort out their garbage and put out specific types of garbage on set days. They also pay a hefty price for each municipal issue garbage bag. This reduces the effort – and cost – of recycling. It takes no special investment or thought to achieve this. But it does demand citizens who respect their country, each other and themselves. The one ray of hope is the fact that our children are being taught to protect our environment. «Environmentalism» has also become fashionable, leading to many news media promoting it. At some point, enough people will see that their own interests are best served by the national interest. Then perhaps we will waste less, recycle more, and preserve everything that made us love Greece in the first place.
