Tilos island has won first prize in the “Supporting Sustainable Transition” category at the 2024 European Entrepreneurship Promotion Awards (EEPA), surpassing strong initiatives from Austria and Netherlands thanks to its ongoing ‘Just Go Zero Tilos’ initiative.
The EEPA recognises and rewards exceptional initiatives supporting entrepreneurship at the national, regional and local levels. With a record number of 442 entries from 29 countries this year, Germany, Turkey, Denmark, Serbia, Estonia, Greece and France emerged as the winning countries across the various categories.
The winning initiative, ‘Just Go Zero Tilos’, introduced a technologically advanced system for waste management, promoting a circular economy on the island through community consultation and awareness raising efforts. The project was started in December 2021 to recover and recycle all waste with the aim of hitting net zero. Tilos also won the top Grand Jury Award, recognising the most creative and inspiring initiative promoting entrepreneurship in Europe.
Under the initiative, Tilos has successfully diverted 100 per cent of waste from landfills and achieved 93 per cent recycling rate. The EEPA described the island as a ‘beacon of sustainability’, recognising it as a model for Europe and a source of inspiration for countries and communities aiming for a more sustainable future.
Tilos is also the first energy-self-sufficient island in Greece and powers 100 per cent of its energy needs through renewable energy sources, significantly reducing its own carbon footprint while reducing electricity bills for locals. The island has a population of 500 people and an addition of 13,000 tourists a year.
Over the last 15 years, Australians have made an effort to recycle, increasing the recycling rate by 57 per cent. However, municipal solid waste remains a significant contributor to overall waste levels, especially in key material streams such as clothing and other textiles, packaging and most significantly food waste.
To help reduce this, find out how to properly recycle these items via Recycling Near You.
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