I returned yesterday from a conference on waste management in Cyprus organised by the Cyprus Sustainable Tourism Initiative (CSTI) and the University of Cyprus. Sunvil was one of the sponsors.
Being an island Cyprus has always had problems with waste disposal and most rubbish has simply gone into landfill sites.
However, progress is being made and, as our clients visiting the island are generally very environmentally aware, we have always been very keen to encourage progress in waste management.
Those of you who visit regularly will now see re-cycling bins appearing in Paphos and Polis is soon to follow. Many of our holidays are now organised in private villas, village houses and village inns which are off the beaten track, and raising awareness in the villages of the necessity of proper waste disposal is one of our priorities.
Government is now very much aware of the need to look after the local environment and the newly appointed Commissioner for the Environment (who reports directly to the President) and several local mayors attended. Hoteliers too were very much in evidence as they too are beginning to realise that, if Cyprus is to halt the fall in tourism, then it must improve its environmental performance.
Sunvil has played a big part in raising this awareness over the last 20 years – yes it takes time! We shall be funding several initiatives being organised by the CSTI and we shall shortly be experimenting with a ‘grey water’ treatment in some of our villas so that this water can be used to water the gardens.
The island has so much to offer, especially away from the crowded coastal regions, and it is very satisfying to see that what we have been preaching for so long is at last being taken seriously.
Noel Josephides
Managing Director
