With respect to Corfu’s splendid natural landscape, the management of the Messonghi Beach Holiday Resort has taken over the responsibility of implementing an integrated waste management program to become a good paradigm for the whole island and to apply the principles of the circular economy in practice.
The hotel Messonghi Beach Holiday Resort is a main hotel, with 1885 beds and 300 staff. It is located right on the beach of Messonghi, on the eastern coast of Corfu, 22km from the city of Corfu. The large number of visitors and the operation of the “all inclusive” hotel lead to a large production of both recyclable materials and food waste.
The problem that had to be addressed was the management of the large volume of recyclable materials, mainly disposable plastic and organic waste for diversion from landfill.
The chosen solution consisted of 5 stages.
In the first stage an integrated waste management study was carried out by Qgreen’s specialized waste management consultants. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the current situation, where the sources, the different categories and the quantities of waste from the different parts of the hotel were determined. A techno-economic assessment was also carried out, identifying sustainable actions and the necessary waste management equipment.
In the second stage and basis of the study, Qgreen was guided by the sorting of organic material and different streams of recyclable materials in different collection facilities and personnel training was carried out. In this way, apart from the separate collection of organic material, a significant increase in the sorting of recyclable materials at source was achieved. Within the first months of the program, the recovery of materials for recycling and composting was reached up to 40%.
The third stage concerned the reduction of the volume of recyclable materials and their exploitation as products for sale. In collaboration with EcoVRS, the PEL B1500 vertical press was used, where the recyclable waste by type is compressed and bundled in parcels of approximately 150.200 kg. The compression system has provided less room for collection of recyclables but also cleanliness and order.
The fourth stage concerned the reduction of the volume and weight of organic waste. This was achieved by installing DEHYDRA BENCH Dewatering Unit from EcoVRS. The dewatering unit consists of a powerful waste bin which slurries all organic waste which is then led to a centrifuge to make the solids separate from the liquids. The fluids are removed through the drainage system while the solid residue is concentrated in special containers. In this way the volume and weight of organic waste is reduced from 50% to 70%.
In the fifth and last stage of management, the produced material that is derived from fresh plant waste is led to simple aerobic composting while the dehydrated food waste is collected by a private individual, but reduced by weight and volume, reducing the cost of collection.
