Athens Municipality Installs Underground Garbage Bins Across the City

Photo source: Municipality of Athens

The Municipality of Athens recently installed the Greek capital’s first underground waste containers in central locations. The action is part of the municipality’s flagship waste management program that will see a total of 350 underground bins for mixed, recyclable and bio-waste installed in Athens’ 129 neighborhoods.

According to the municipality, the installation of the underground bins will free public space (pavements, pedestrian areas and squares) and improve the city’s overall functionality and appearance.

“This is a step towards a more sustainable and clean city,” said Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis.

Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis inspecting the installation of an underground bin. Photo source: Municipality of Athens

The new bins will also help reduce the number of routes taken by municipal waste collection vehicles, with obvious benefits for the environment, collection costs and the daily lives of citizens, considering that traffic in the city will be reduced.

Photo source: Municipality of Athens

In addition to the environmental benefits for Athens and ensuring a better appearance for the city, the underground bins will also offer a number of other advantages, including: an increase in waste storage capacity, as the 350 underground bins are equivalent to 1,774 traditional bins, saving up to 1,424 points of public space; a boost to the commercial activity in the surrounding areas of where they are placed; and better management of the resources available for waste collection.

Photo source: Municipality of Athens

Out of the 350 new underground garbage bins, 134 have a capacity of 2,200 liters, 109 have a capacity of 4,400 liters and 107 are vertical compaction systems for communal bins, while the current waste collection municipal vehicles won’t have to be modified to collect waste from the new bins.

“The new underground bin installation is a major project that will improve the daily lives of  people who live and work in our city’s center,” Bakoyannis added.