Μake us preferred on Google The situation remains dire on the waste management front in southern Corfu, with areas including Agios Matthaios, Moraitika and Argyrades facing huge piles of accumulated garbage.
Trash has piled up near residential areas, forests and even schools, creating a situation that is causing serious concern among residents and raising major public health issues, while also increasing the risk of fires. The situation has now reached a critical point. In some locations, even lime has been spread near kindergartens and elementary schools in an effort to address sanitation problems and reduce the presence of rodents.
At the same time, the volume of waste remains particularly high as tourist activity continues on the island.
The problem intensified on September 8, when garbage collection by a private contractor stopped after the Court of Audit ruled that the municipal authority’s contract was unlawful and canceled it. The municipality’s sanitation service, operating with limited resources and staff, is unable to meet all of the island’s needs without the assistance of a private contractor.
Adding to the problem, Corfu does not have its own facility for waste management. As a result, garbage must be transported off the island, for example to Palairos, but that process has also been “frozen” for the time being. The area has become overrun with mice and cockroaches.
Two months ago, residents were forced to use a drone to document the situation, revealing garbage stretching for kilometers. The waste was not along the main road, where it would be visible, but had instead been piled up on the other side.
Residents are calling for an immediate solution, as the piles of garbage grow larger with every passing day, along with concerns over public health, the environment and the risk of fire.
