Let’s Do It Cyprus – annual clean-up campaign

Cyprus’ transition from the linear to circular economy is a key tool to ensure economic growth and keep pace with environmental protection and social justice, Environment Commissioner Antonia Theodosiou said on Tuesday to mark the start of this year’s Let’s Do It Cyprus island-wide clean-up.

“Only the combination of these will show the way to achieving a sustainable future,” she said.

“Any other effort to deal with the climate crisis will be ineffective.”

Among its main contributors to the crisis were overconsumption, especially in Western societies, and the production of waste, she added, the linear model being one of “produce, consume and throw” was no longer the way to go.

The “circular economy” by contrast, as laid out in UN’s Sustainable Development Goals or “Agenda 2030” as it’s also known, was all about sustainable consumption and production, reducing waste, rational resource management and climate action.

“This transition is a key tool to ensure that economic growth goes hand in hand with environmental protection and social justice,” she said.

Referring to the 2024 clean-up campaign, the commissioner invited the public, organised groups and agencies to participate and support the effort.

“Ultimate success will be when our own mindset, which drives the system, prevents the creation of litter and waste, thus making clean-up campaigns obsolete,” she said.

Let’s Do It Cyprus, starts on October 28 and ends on November 3. Each municipality, and dozens of environmental and other NGOs organise their own clean-ups.