ATHENS – A program of Rewarding Recycling is, for the first time ever, implemented at Maximos Mansion, the Prime Ministerial headquarters, Kyriakos Mitsotakis revealed on Friday, in a post on Twitter.

“We practice our respect for the environment! For the first time, we are implementing a comprehensive Rewarding Packaging Recycling program at Maximos Mansion,” Mitsotakis wrote, and noted that “the new system recycles a lot more material and the benefits go to social solidarity actions,” and he also posted the following link on the program’s benefits.

Σεβόμαστε το περιβάλλον στην πράξη! Για πρώτη φορά εφαρμόζουμε στο Μέγαρο Μαξίμου ένα ολοκληρωμένο πρόγραμμα Ανταποδοτικής Ανακύκλωσης συσκευασιών. Με το νέο σύστημα γίνεται ανακύκλωση πολύ περισσότερων υλικών και τα οφέλη πηγαίνουν σε δράσεις κοινωνικής αλληλεγγύης. pic.twitter.com/qA8aEOmtl7

— Prime Minister GR (@PrimeministerGR) August 9, 2019

Sources at Maximos Mansion also provided some more details concerning the initiative:

“The benefits of recycling are well known and documented by now, in all developed countries around the world. Recycling contributes both environmentally and socio-economically. According to research, recycling one ton of glass does not consume wetland sand and thus saves 12 kg of oil that would otherwise be used to produce the energy needed to create the glass. Likewise, recycling one ton of plastic means it will not require some 500 years to decompose into the environment, and it will also prevent the release of plastic-production gases into the atmosphere-which contributes to the greenhouse effect.

These self-evident benefits have also been recognized by the (Greek) government, which since August 6 has introduced the National Collective System of Alternative Management of Packaging ‘Rewarding Packaging Recycling’ implemented at Maximos Mansion.

‘Rewarding Packaging Recycling’ has been approved by the Greek state for the promotion and development of packaging recycling in our country, and is the only official body that has created comprehensive recycling programs, to fulfill the legal obligation to separate recyclable packaging.

According to Maximos Mansion sources, this is essentially the first integrated recycling system, with New Democracy being the first political party to fulfill this specific legal obligation.

For the first time at Maximos Mansion, it will be possible to collect individual packaging materials, paper, plastic, metal, and glass, in designated collection points throughout the building.

Rewarding Packaging Recycling offers a significant 3 cents of euro for every single plastic, metal or glass item collected.

Part of the proceeds will be given to Together for Children, an association of non-profit NGOs, that work in the field of child welfare, concerning some 30,000 children, and in 2016 it was awarded by the Athens Academy for it continued social work.