Greenpeace points finger at Greece for high dioxin emissions from waste burning

The organisation says that there are some 5,000 uncontrolled dumpsites around the country, producing between 47.7 and 920 grams of dioxins (I-TEQ) annually.

It also says that 10-13% of Greece’s four and a half million tons of household waste are illegally burned in landfills.

EU attention is focused on Greece following a judgement by the European Court of Justice on 4 July, imposing a fine of 24,600 Euros per day (£15,000) on the country for the high level of dioxins at a landfill site at Kouroupitos in Crete

(see related story).

“Kouroupitos is just the tip of the iceberg,” said Stellos Psomas, Executive Director of Greenpeace Greece, whose organisation is calling on the Greek government to ban PVC bottles in an effort to reduce dioxins in landfills. Greenpeace says that the bottles account for 20% of the bottled water market.