PRESS RELEASE
TEΧAN declared Giannis Antetokounmpo
“MVP of Recycling in Greece”
In recycling we are all a team!
The Minister of Environment and Energy, Mr. Stavros Papastavrou announced
the 1st National School Recycling Championship,
With six trips to the USA as prizes to watch an NBA game with Giannis Antetokounmpo.
In a big celebration dedicated to recycling and the power of teamwork, the two-time NBA MVP (Most Valuable Player) and global sports icon, Giannis Antetokounmpo, was named by TEXAN as the “Most Valuable Protector of Recycling in Greece”, i.e. MVP of recycling in our country.
The event, held under the auspices of the Ministry of Environment and Energy as well as the Ministry of Development — the two competent ministries for the development of the national packaging recycling system with deposit return, which constitutes a national obligation in accordance with the relevant Directive of the European Commission — brought together over 300 guests, ranging from institutional representatives and members of the government and local authorities to business executives, educators, and hundreds of students and university attendees.
Among the attendees at the event was Mr. Stavros Papastavrou, Minister for the Environment and Energy, Mr. Takis Theodorikakos, Minister of Development, Mrs. Sophia Zacharaki, Minister of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, Mr. Adonis Georgiadis, Minister of Health, Mrs. Maria Olson, Chargé d’ Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Athens, Mr. George Tsunis, former U.S. Ambassador to Athens, as well as other high-ranking guests.
The event was honored by the presence of His Beatitude Ieronymos II, Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Ieronymos II.
The event started with the participation of primary school students in an experiential environmental education program. Children recycled plastic, metal and glass into high-tech recycling machines and understood through creative and interactive actions the importance of circular economy.
In addition, the Minister for Environment and Energy, Mr. Stavros Papastavrou officially announced the launch, with the new school year, of the 1st National School Recycling Championship, which will be implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports.
The National School Recycling Championship is addressed to all lower and upper secondary school students in the country, but also to the students of the 4th grade of elementary school (who are taught the subject 'Environmental Studies’), in order to promote environmental awareness and active participation in the recycling process.
The students will recycle plastic, metal and glass packaging in the state-of-the-art Multi-purpose Recycling Centers of TEXAN operating in municipalities of the country. The first school class, from every lower and upper secondary school grade in Greece, which will recycle the most packaging, will be declared as the MVP – Most Valuable Protector– class of its grade. As a result, all students of the 6 MVP winning lower and upper secondary school classes will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to the United States to watch Giannis Antetokounmpo play live in an NBA game.
The top 4th Grade class in each prefecture of the country will be named the MVP class, and all students of each winning class will receive sportswear signed by Giannis.
In the context of the event, the Minister for Environment and Energy, Mr. Stavros Papastavrou stated the following: “The circular economy is our strategic priority, and TEXAN demonstrates how environmental action is linked to technology, education and citizen participation. This initiative embraces these three pillars and is further empowered by the involvement of Giannis Antetokounmpo. When such patterns inspire change, the transition becomes a personal matter. And that’s exactly what we need today.”
For his part, the Minister of Development Mr. Takis Theodorikakos stressed the following: “TEXAN is a strong example of green growth with a social footprint. Through the Multi-purpose Recycling Centers, TEXAN creates new jobs and sustainable infrastructure, turning innovation into action. We support partnerships that bring together entrepreneurship and public service.”
The Archbishop Ieronymos II of Athens & All Greece stated the following: “Today, both I personally and we as the Church have gained important and valuable knowledge. We will do our best to stand by not only our children but also our country. Recycling is not just an environmental act — it is a debt to the future of Greece. And this future we dream clean, green and optimistic.”
The CEO of TEXAN, Dr. Panagiotis Mourgos, noted the following: “The choice of Giannis Antetokounmpo as a Recycling Ambassador is not a coincidence. He represents the Greece that can lead, evolve, and innovate. We can become the best practice example for all of Europe in the field of recycling and sustainable development. But since in recycling we are a team, it is also important that we work as a team. Starting today, Giannis is undertaking a new and important mission. Because in our country, we need not one, but many MVP of recycling.”
With TEXAN leading the design and implementation of the initiative, the event was the starting point of a new era for the recycling sector in our country, with the goal of transforming Greece from a laggard within the European Union into a leader in meeting quantitative recycling targets.
Because in recycling… we are all a team!
