Paros: bulky waste impasse goes to prosecutor

The bulky waste crisis in Paros has escalated to the Prosecutor of the Court of First Instance of Syros. Paros Municipality announced on August 10, 2026 that it is unable to dispose of bulky waste accumulating around the collection points, because the operator of the only licensed landfill facility on the island has forbidden, as of July 29, 2026, the deposit of these specific waste streams.

According to the municipality, these waste streams are included in the facility’s approved Environmental Terms approval decision, meaning they are explicitly stipulated in its operating permit. The municipal authority informed the Prosecutor of the Court of First Instance of Syros in writing on August 7, 2026. It also recalls that Paros has been declared by the Secretary General of Civil Protection to be in a state of emergency for serious public safety and health reasons.

The municipality calls on FOVDSA Southern Aegean S.A. to hire external contractors and lease the necessary equipment to restore normal operations and resume acceptance of bulky waste. Until this occurs, materials deposited beside the collection bins remain there, as there is no other legal final disposal site on the island for this waste category.

At the same time, Paros mayor Konstantinos N. Bizas sent a letter to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis requesting immediate government intervention and emergency funding to complete two unfinished Green Points facilities. The project was adopted on June 15, 2022 with a budget of 1,990,000 euros, while a contract was signed on April 9, 2025 with IRON Construction, worth 954,079.81 euros, for technical infrastructure only.