Description
Tílos is a small Greek island and municipality in the Aegean Sea, and is the first energy-efficient island in Greece. Under the Smart Rural 27 initiative, an innovative hybrid system is being developed and operated on the island that makes use of solar and wind energy. An energy storage system covers the electricity needs of the inhabitants of the village of Livadia (approx. 500 inhabitants).
Technology
Tílos has introduced the Just Go Zero Tílos programme – a fully circular waste management initiative based on the sorting of waste at source. The sorted waste is then collected and taken to the 3K Circular Innovation Centre, which has been equipped with modern machinery and high-tech waste-handling solutions. The integrated technologies include blue bags with unique QR codes on which the contents of the bags are recorded after weighing at the time of collection. The journey of each bag can then be followed in real-time via the ZeroApp mobile application, allowing householders in Tílos to monitor and trace the circular management of the waste they produce, and how much of it is turned into organic waste or recycled.
Target
The main targets of the programme are Tílos’ rural communities, who benefit from the circular economy through the elimination of landfill, while local businesses in the private sector can benefit from the availability of refurbished or recycled materials. Visitors to the island contribute to the project by being instructed through an information point how to use the Just Go Zero system, and its equipment and infrastructures.
Impact
Figures from 2022 claim that the Just Go Zero Tílos initiative has led to the recovery or composting of more than 85 percent of the island’s waste. The project has also led to the creation of 10 new workplaces on the island, and 10 additional jobs.
Partners
Polygreen
Four Betters
Better environment
