10 replies to this topic

[jem]

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Hi All,

We have just returened from a much needed weeks holiday on Crete.

My wife and I just wanted to say that Crete is a wonderful diverse island, with much to offer people from all walks of life, young or old.

Why, oh why do the locals feel the need to just throw their rubbish out of the car window? Having landed in Herakilon (not sure if spelt corrctly) we headed off to Agi Palagia, only about 20km to the west. The first thing I noticed was the horrible amount of road side litter, what an absolute shame, such a beautiful Island and yet litter everywhere.

Is it just a complete lack of care for ones homeland, or are people just lazy to the extreme. Whats the matter with the locals, have some pride in your Island. After all tourism is a good source of income for the locals and this is having a bad affect on tourists wanting to return.

Why not start an awarness of this problem, it was not too long ago in the Uk (we live in Cornwall) that we had similar problems, but that has changed a great deal or it has down here in Cornwall.

Come on Explore Crete, can you not do something 'get the ball rolling' its your island, think about the wildlife and grazing animals (which we saw chewing on an old plastic bag and worse). Education is the only way, we want to come back and we will, but have some pride in your homeland.

Anyone want to comment please do so, I will say that up and away from the the hussle of the towns and citys it was a lot better, I think the real locals do care.

[Nita]

Hi Jem, glad you had a god holiday.

I'd like to make a general observation, which applies to the area I live in - west of Chania - and may not apply elsewhere on the island. Yes we have a litter problem but this problem increases dramatically during the tourist season. My neighbours and I are constantly cleaning the area outside our homes and a friend, whose property borders the beach, spends much time each morning cleaning the beach area just beyond his garden of rubbish discarded by holidaymakers despite the fact that waste bins are provided. So perhaps it's not just the local people that need to be educated.

[Dinny]

You are right, Nita. But I fear it's the locals setting the example...

Here in Pitsidia I really do think that the local authorities are doing whatever possible to collect the garbish, we have bins everywhere and they are emptied regularly, and they send out men to collect garbish at the side of the road during tourist season, so they probably cannot do much more than that. But a campaign from the high-up authorities might help a bit to raise the awareness of the problem. A campaign costs a lot of money though...

[jem]

Hi and thanks for your comments.

I agree, I live in cornwall and some tourists to litter, but it has got a lot better in the past few years. Anyone who goes to crete and litters is a disgrace to us all, education and time can help a lot.

bye

[frans]

Hi,

Just a comment on the litter issue. I have seen many examples as well but the worst I witnessed just outside Paleochora where it seems people have created a scrapheap in pure nature...In one of the small valleys people literally have dumped all their waist, washing machines, refrigerators and so on..unbelievable. In the village itself things are fine when you walk in the populated areas. In the places where there are no houses, the harbour area for instance at the most southern point, there is a lot of litter and it is never cleaned there. This is one thing. Another thing is that along the east coast line a pedestrian walkway has been created a few years ago. On the other side of the road...just dirt! According to locals this area should have been paved as well but it seems one ran out of money and now it looks very untidy and unfinished. There are a lot of hotel owners in that area and they all complain. I asked: Did you ever try to unite and complain together to the local authorities? The answer is no. It seems to me that they do not want to unite against these things for unknown reasons. I have also raised the topic of traffic safety in a topic. Have not had any reactions yet!

[jem]

I have to agree, they drive with a death wish, tail hugging loons, but thats the way the Greeks are in general, when it comes to driving. Everytime we went on the main Her-Chan road I called it the 'wackey races' and it was like being in the Gran Prix But I have to say I do love the Greek people and there unique culture. Still a shame about the litter, it will have an adverse affect on the islands tourism and thus ££, so maybe it is worth spending the money to educate etc. Anyway I will always love them

[Ton]

The answer to the garbage problem in Greece is the following:

1. Complain to your local Municipality Mayor
2. Complain to the Minister of Tourism
3. Complain to the Greek EOT
4. Give the good example and pick yourself along the road and going to the beach all garbage found(except drug needles, diapers, bed matresses and old refrigerators).


I have done all the above and the situation is worsen rather than getting better. The tourists (except Swiss)see all the garbage the locals create and they feel more than happy to throw their litter everywhere. The strong winds and the rains in the winter take them back to the mother sea. Even at the very top of Psiloritis you can find litter!!!

If I would be a Greek minister I would immediately force all the soft drink, water, beer, etc companies to change their selling policies by adding 50cent to 1 Euro return empty bottle/can or carton. Then all of us who pick up the empty plastics and aluminum cans would make a fortune when we return them to collect the money.

However I think that the final answer to the littering problem in Crete comes from an old MontyPython video clip with the quote" Chop the goolies off"

[little mo]

Ton, I have often thought that I should do as you say and pick litter up along the road but where I live which is more in the countryside, I would not get 50 metres before I had a big sack of rubbish. It is not just individuals. Businesses are very much to blame too. As I approach my house I can see the tipped rubbish down a hillside from a well known lemonade factory in the area. The garage up the road has very 'aesthetically' strewn old tyres along the roadside opposite the garage and it's not as if they don't have space to put them on their ground because they do. The river beds are strewn with domestic furniture, household rubbish etc. but also with builders rubble. I have seen big vans stopping and emptying their rubbish. Then of course what is worse is that the local farmer burns his rubbish, plastic and all and the stench coming into our garden is terrible and we have to close the windows. Have you not seen Greek housewives brushing outside of their houses? Very tidy you may think, until you then see her brush it along the road to outside her neighbours house! 'Out of sight out of mind!' What Greece needs are laws and for them to be applied but we are talking miracles. It seems to be mostly plastic bottles/bags along the roadsides and it will be interesting in a scientific way to see how high the rubbish gets ie: knee high, waist high, head high? before the Greeks, for they are definitely the culprits, we have no tourists here, realise that there is not a 'rubbish fairy' who comes and takes it all away!! Perhaps the litterers are all men and are waiting for their wives to clean up! Sorry, just a thought!

[Ton]

Well said Jem. Iam afraid that all u said its true but my question to u is ; when u bought your property didn't u see the place u were buying was full of trash? or did u just buy blid folded?
Anyway u are not the only one frastruated with the litter in Crete. The problem will be solved when foreigners who have bought houses in Crete will start participating in local politics and then they can do something about the problem. The same situation had Spain 30 years ago but with the influx of foreigners in the country the situation has changed.
Cleaning will start locally in places where locals &foreigners will put order and clean the trash. The idea will start expanding to other places but at a very slow pace.
I think one way to force the Greek government to do something is to create a Video of Greece, not like the video of Greece promoted by the Greek Ministry of Tourism and shown on CNN. A video which shows the other side of Greece i.e littered streets dirty toilets etc and send it to the Greek Ministry of Tourism with a note please do something or the video will be released to Euro channels so the tourists who come to Greece see the real picture. By the way the new Mayor of Athens has done miracles. We need more people with his vision and courage to make changes all over Greece. The Mayor in Heraklion I have heard from the local people is good but my observation is Heraklion continues to accumulate more and more garbage on the streets. Specially the part of the highway coming from the airport and turning to the road direction Moires is a trash disaster zone.

[Wim]

Just to please "U" all here's the video Ton was writing about: Chop the goolies off.

And as far as the "litter" is concerned I agree with the observation that a lot of litter arrives by plane and boat.
But happily it's not this sort of litter and another fact is that it's a mondial monstrosity.

Watch this one and enjoy! And save this one for the kids. Would do great on Crete's/Greece national tv.

_ _
"U"
^^

Let's wait for Yannis comment on this matter. If someone knows about the heart and souls of the locals, than it's him. Wouldn't it be great if Explore Crete 'd create a Keep Crete Clean action.

[monksend]

Perhaps if we all just took the time to clear one bag of litter each it would make a difference!