The Waste collection System of the island of

kelafonia

BY TIMOTHY BYRNE

Kefalonia is the largest of the Ionian island’s and between the months of May to

October is home to many thousands of tourists. Dealing with waste management

on the island is a very important task because of the large volumes of waste

produced by tourists combined with Mediterranean temperatures reaching 40

degrees in the months of July and August.

All waste and recyclables are collected and managed by the island of Kefalonia

council. The council has a purpose built depot in Argostoli, the capital of the

island. This houses eleven waste collection vehicles, eight of which are deployed

on scheduled collection rounds while the other three are for additional rounds

deployed in the summer months to manage the increase of waste created

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through tourism. The depot has a fully equipped workshop and can carry out all

minor and major repairs to the fleet. A washing bay has also been constructed

outside so that all of the waste collection vehicles can be washed out at the end

of their days work to eradicate any germs or flies spreading in the Mediterranean

heat. The council also has two waste collection vehicles which work in the town

and the outskirts of Lixouri. The smaller of the two collection vehicles also collects

waste in Zola, Assos and the Port of Fiskardo. These two collection vehicles are

out based and are parked in land owned by the island of Kefalonia council outside

of the town.

The waste collection system uses four principle collection systems for the island.

One is the use of a plastic bin liner in the city of Argostoli’s narrow back streets.

The second is the use of 240 and 360 litre containers for the collection of dry

recyclables. The third is the use of 660 litre roll top steel and plastic flat top

containers to DIN specification and the fourth is the use of 1100 litre roll top steel

and plastic flat top containers to DIN specification. The 660 and 1100 litre

containers are used for the collection of both recyclable and non recyclable

waste. The 660 and 1100 litre containers are distinguished in colour, blue is for

the collection of dry recyclables while green is for the collection of non recyclable

waste. Containers are placed at communal collection points along the street

where domestic dwellings, apartments, shops and tavernas can place their waste

for collection. Hotels are mostly provided with 1100 litre roll top containers but

these are stored in their own grounds.

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The waste collection service is provided seven days a week in Kefalonia. In the

summer the rounds are bigger and also using an additional three collection

vehicles due to the increase in waste production due to tourism. In the winter

months, the collection rounds change and the vehicles which have designated

collection rounds cover larger areas. The three spare vehicles are only used in

winter months to cover servicing and breakdowns and are not used to provide a

front line waste collection service like in the summer. The collection service starts

between 3am-5am every day to avoid traffic and disrupting tourists. On a

Sunday, the waste collection service covers the whole island in the summer

months and in the winter months the service is only carried out in Argostoli from

3am until 10-11am. Each collection crew is manned with a driver and two

personal who position the containers to the rear of the collection vehicles for

emptying by the vehicle’s lifting equipment.

There are two waste collection rounds which collect waste from the City of

Argostoli and the tourist resort of Lassi. One concentrates on collecting the waste

in the long streets while the other vehicle concentrates on collecting waste in the

areas of Argostoli and Lassi with restricted access. A small satellite 7.5 tonne

waste collection vehicle also collects waste in the tight access areas and provides

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a second collection service for the larger inner city streets mid morning with the

round finishing between 2 – 3pm. There are also separate collection vehicles

which collect waste from the famous town of Sami, Antisamos and Agia Effimia,

Poros, Skala and Katelios, Lourdas, Pesada and Gerasimos, Minia, Metaxata,

Lakithra, Spartia and the International Airport for the island as well as two

collection vehicles collecting waste in the town of Lixouri, Zola, Assos and Fiskardo

to the north of the island.

Kefalonia island boasts a modern fleet of waste collection vehicles. Traditionally,

the island used to buy its waste collection vehicles from Germany second hand

when they were ten to twelve years old. These would mainly consist of a

Mercedes SK two axle chassis with Faun / Kuka Rotopress rotating drum

compaction equipment with one larger vehicle being a Mercedes SK three axle

with Haller X2 intermittent loading equipment. All of the collection vehicles

purchased in this period had a trunnion arm lifter which could lift containers of

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660 and 1100 litres capacity DIN 30700 type. The island also purchased several

Steyr 91 two axle chassis new with Kaoussis CRV1600 rotating drum compaction

equipment in the late eighties and early nineties era. These too were fitted with

trunnion lifters to DIN 30700 specification.

From 1996, the existing fleet of waste collection vehicles started to be updated.

The island purchased a new Mercedes SK 2024 18 tonne two axle chassis with

Faun Variopress waste collection bodywork and trunnion lifting equipment

mounted to it. This vehicle was assigned to collect waste in the town of Sami,

Antisamos and Agia Effimia. The second purchase was in 1999, a Mercedes Atego

1523 two axle chassis of 15 tonnes with 12 cubic metre Kaoussis CRV 1600

rotating drum compaction equipment. This equipment featured a trunnion and

bar lift for the emptying of containers of 80 – 1100 litre capacity DIN 30700 / DIN

30740. This vehicle was purchased for accessing the narrows streets across the

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island, for example, in Lixouri, Zola, Assos and the Port of Fiskardo as well as some

more local villages near to Argostoli.

In 2002, five additional new waste collection vehicles were added to the fleet.

These consisted of one Mercedes Actros 2640 three axle chassis with Kaoussis

Norba RL300 22 cubic metre bodywork mounted to it. This vehicle was purchased

to collect waste in the large streets of Argostoli and Lassi. Four other new

collection vehicles featured in this order. They were Mercedes Actros 1831 two

axle chassis with Kaoussis Norba RL300 16 cubic metre bodywork mounted to

them. These four waste collection vehicles were assigned to collect waste in

Argostoli, Lassi, Lixouri, Sami, Antisamos, Agia Effimia, Poros, Skala and Katelios.

All five new waste collection vehicles were fitted with a trunnion bin lift which can

empty containers from 80-1100 litres capacity DIN 30700 and DIN 30740 types.

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In 2004 the island council also purchased a Mercedes Atego 815 7.5 tonne two

axle chassis with Mazzocchia satellite waste collection equipment mounted to it.

This collection vehicle also featured a bar lift which could empty containers from

80 -1100 litres capacity DIN 30700 and DIN 30740 types. This collection vehicle

was purchased to collect waste in the narrow streets of Argostoli and once full, it

would off load its waste into the Mercedes Actros 2640 three axle chassis with

Kaoussis Norba RL300 22 cubic metre bodywork for onward transport to the

sanitary landfill site of the island. This collection vehicle is also manned by a driver

and two collection personal.

In 2008 four more larger waste collection vehicles were purchased, three Iveco

Eurocargo 190EL28 two axle 18 tonne chassis with Kaoussis Norba RL300 16 cubic

metre bodywork and an Iveco Trakker 450 three axle 26 tonne chassis with

Kaoussis Norba RL300 22 cubic metre bodywork. All of these four new waste

collection vehicles have a bar lift fitted to them to the same specification as the

other collection vehicles which have been recently purchased by the island. The

purpose for buying these four new collection vehicles was to replace the last of

the remaining Mercedes SK Faun / Kuka Rotopress rotating drum waste collection

vehicles initially bought from Germany second hand as well as also replacing one

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of the Mercedes Actros 1831 two axle Kaoussis Norba RL300 16 cubic metre

waste collection vehicles purchased new in 2002. This was so that one of these

collection vehicles along with the Mercedes SK 2024 18 tonne two axle Faun

Variopress waste collection vehicle could now be used as spare support vehicles

to cover vehicle servicing and breakdowns. The larger Iveco Trakker 450 thee axle

26 tonne Norba RL300 22 cubic metre Kaoussis waste collection vehicle was

purchased for a new waste collection round that was being developed across the

island for in the summer. In the winter months, the vehicle is also used to cover

the Mercedes Actros 2640 6x4 Kaoussis Norba RL300 waste collection vehicle

when it is being serviced. Over the last few years the island has also taken delivery

of a Nisaan Atleon150.22 two axle 12 tonne Kaoussis Norba RL200 14 cubic metre

waste collection vehicle and a Mercedes Axor 1824 two axle 18 tonne Kaoussis

Norba RL200 16 cubic metre waste collection vehicle both fitted with associated

lifting equipment devices for emptying the 660 and 1100 litre containers used for

the collection of dry recyclables.

In conclusion, the island of Kefalonia council operates an effective and sustainable

waste collection system for both its inhabitants and tourists for many years to

come.

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