Press Release
ΤΕΧΑΝ & FODSA of Peloponnese: The winners of the Big Educational Recycling Competition were proclaimed in 13 Municipalities of the Region of Peloponnese
Students from 200 school classes of the 13 Municipalities of the Peloponnese region actively participated in TEXAN competition paving the path to a more sustainable future. In total, 3,200,000 materials were recycled.
In the context of TEXAN’s social and environmental awareness programs, the Big School Recycling Competition organized by TEXAN in collaboration with the Peloponnese's Regional Association of Solid Waste Management Entities (FODSA), under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, was successfully completed.
The school competition, which aimed at raising awareness and active participation of young people in recycling, attracted the participation of students from 200 primary and Secondary Education Schools of the Peloponnese region municipalities, where TEXAN's Recycling Multicenters operate.
The students recycled materials in 13 municipalities and submitted their participation vouchers.The official announcement of the winning classes took place at a recent event held in a well-known hotel in Kalamata. The students from the three school classes that collected the most materials were rewarded for their efforts, and the official announcement of the winners took place.
The school classes that won the big competition prizes after counting are the following:
• 1st Rank and the big winner of the competition is: The B3 class of the 2nd Upper Secondary Education School of Kalamata, with 312,305 materials recycled. Prize: One (1) 5-day trip for all school students to Barcelona, Spain.
• 2nd Rank: The A1 class of the 2nd Upper Secondary Education School of Argos, with 200,398 materials recycled. Prize: One (1) 5-day trip for all school students to Chania.
• 3rd Rank: The A1 class of the Ermioni Upper Secondary Education School, with 169,319 materials recycled. Prize: 1 Smartwatch for each student in the school class (students received their gifts).
Notably, due to the high level of participation in the competition, it was decided to award prizes to the top school class in each municipality.The prize for each class was one (1) Smartwatch for all students in the school class.
Mr. Apostolos Mourgos President of TEXAN said the following: “Congratulations to all participants! The contribution of students to recycling efforts is highly significant, as they are the ones who lay the groundwork for a better future. It is truly heartening to witness so many young people embracing recycling and demonstrating their commitment to environmental sustainability. At TEXAN, we remain dedicated to investing in initiatives that educate and raise awareness among future generations about the circular economy and recycling, ensuring a better future for all.”
The awarding ceremony was attended by the Regional Governor of the Peloponnese, Mr. Dimitrios Ptochos, the President of FODSA Peloponnese, Mr. Ioannis Smyrniotis, Director of FODSA Peloponnese, Mr. Nikolaos Aggelopoulos, the Mayor of Kalamata, Mr. Athanasios Vassilopoulos, the Mayor of Argos-Mycenae, Mr. Ioannis Maltezos and the Mayor of Ermionida, Mr. Ioannis Georgopoulos. The awarding ceremony was also attended by the Vice-Regional Governor of Messinia, Mr. Stathis Anastasopoulos, the Deputy Mayor of Education & Social Policy and Gender Equality of the Municipality of Ermionida, Ms Eleni Vlassi – Dimaraki, as well as Ms Anastasia Argyropoulou, Deputy Mayor of Cleanliness, Recycling and Civil Protection in the Municipality of Argos.
The Regional Governor of the Peloponnese, Mr. Dimitrios Ptochos, among other things, congratulated all students and organizers stating that "recycling is not only an act of responsibility towards the environment, but also a step towards circular economy". He emphasized the significance of the circular economy and urged students to incorporate it into their daily lives. Furthermore, he announced the establishment of a circular economy and bioeconomy center in Megalopolis, Arcadia, emphasizing its potential benefits for present and future generations of students.
The President of FODSA Peloponnese, Mr. Ioannis Smyrniotis specifically highlighted the winning classes from the Municipality of Argos-Mycenae, the Municipality of Ermionida, and the Municipality of Kalamata, noting that these three classes collectively collected approximately seven hundred thousand (700,000) materials. He mentioned that the ‘’competition would be held twice each year and expressed his hope that the next competition would surpass the current record. Recycling, as we can observe, is gradually becoming ingrained in our culture.”
The Mayor of Livadia, Mr. Athanasios Vassilopoulos, emphasized the importance of recycling due to its role in reducing waste volume. Additionally, he underscored how children are paving the way to a better future through their participation in this initiative. The Municipality of Kalamata has organized numerous recycling-themed events aimed at raising awareness among all children through such initiatives. Through the state-of-the-art Multi-Purpose Recycling Centers, significant efforts are being made, as evidenced by the recently completed Recycling Competition. The children of Kalamata have once again demonstrated their leadership in recycling by setting goals and achieving consistently positive results.
The Mayor of Argos-Mycenae. Mr. Ioannis Maltezos, said that Recycling is a major commitment for the Municipality, and ‘’through initiatives like the Texan & FODSA Peloponnese competition, it was transformed from a follower to a leader. The significant increase in the collection and storage of recyclable materials clearly demonstrates this success.’’ The promotion of recycling starts primarily with the younger generations, who can grasp the importance of recycling, the necessity of environmental protection, and the value of respecting others. Congratulations to the winners! The Municipality of Argos - Mycenae will plan and implement other such actions in cooperation with the competent bodies.”
The Mayor of Livadia, Mr. Ioannis Georgopoulos, congratulated the students and teachers of the General Upper Secondary Education School of Ermioni who took part in TEXAN Competition in collaboration with FODSA Peloponnese and were among the three major winners. As he pointed out "Despite being a small municipality, the children of Ermionida, as well as all children, show a strong sensitivity towards recycling and environmental protection, as evidenced by their tremendous efforts". He also stressed that “the Municipality of Ermionida is fully compliant with all stages of waste management. He expressed gratitude to TEXAN for its significant contribution to the Multi-Purpose Recycling Centers and for its outstanding collaboration with FODSA Peloponnese.”
The Director of FODSA Peloponnese, Nikolaos Aggelopoulos stated that "The overall participation from the Peloponnese region was outstanding and surpassed all expectations, with a total of 3,200,000 materials recycled. At the municipal level, it is noteworthy that nearly 1,000,000 recyclables were collected, and small municipalities achieved remarkably high numbers of recyclable materials".
Driven by sustainable development and environmental protection, TEXAN continues to demonstrate that together we can lay the foundations for a better future.
For further information, see here: https://recycling-center.gr/ekdiloseis/anakiryxi-nikiton-megalos-ekpaideytikos-diagonismos-anakyklosis-sholeion-ton-dimon
