PRESS RELEASE
SUBJECT: IMPLEMENTATION OF “SMART EDUCATION” ACTION
6-10 MAY 2019
The Municipality of Serres, as the lead partner of the project “Green Employment in the management of Biowaste” with Acronym Green Crew, co-funded by the VA INTERREG Greece-Bulgaria 2014-2020 Program, successfully implemented the SMART EDUCATION action, having as a main objective to inform participants concerning the social economy and
the management of bio-waste through social entrepreneurship Training week included presentations of representatives from the Municipality of Serres, specialized waste management scientists, professors from the Technological Educational
Institute of Central Macedonia, as well as speeches by members of the Social Cooperative Societies from both Serres and Thessaloniki.
On the first day of the action, the Mayor of Serres Petros Angelidis, welcomed the participants and then stated that & Through this action, the Municipality of Serres aims to raise awareness of both the stakeholders and the citizens / individuals concerning the alternative waste management with economic and environmental benefits . Also, in the framework of the project, a pilot biodegradable composting unit is going to be operated in the Municipality of Serres for demonstration purposes , in order to inform local farmers about the benefits of composting.
After welcoming the participants, Deputy Mayor Pantelis Chrapas, stressed the need for environmental responsibility by citizens in order to achieve a sustainable green and competitive economy.
The Municipal Councilor of the Programming and Development Department of the Municipality of Serres, Konstantinos Karpoutchis, expressed his pleasure for the practical interest shown by young people participating in the specific action of the Municipality and stressed that; The transition to cyclical economy is the bet of our times and one of the biggest challenges in the world, in order to build a truly viable growth model. In this context, as a Municipality, we have given special attention to the opportunities and prospects opened for our place in this new production model, since it is easy to realize that a prefecture like Serres, which basically relies on agri-food activity, could exploit much of the waste from agricultural and livestock farming in a cyclical economy model.
It is noteworthy that during the training week a visit was made to the landfill Site in Palaiokastro, Serres, where participants had the opportunity to tour its premises and watch the process of weighing litter, depositing them in the cell and covering them. In addition, they were informed about the environmental monitoring of the site and the controls it includes. At the same site, they visited the Waste Treatment Unit (MEA), which will use a modern, high-tech waste management system significantly reducing the amount of residue that will end up in CYYY, while its operation is expected soon.
On the last day of the action, a visit was made to Nigrita Bioenergy SA, an electricity company, through the exploitation of agricultural and animal wastewater as well as wastewater from cheese and oil press. A guided tour was conducted and the participants were informed about its turnover.
