Greece

From its roots as a classical civilization, modern Greece has developed into one of the more developed economies in the Mediterranean. Garbage in Greece has been a central subject of debate between various officials, members of parliament, European Union (EU) representatives, citizens, scientists, and environmentalists. Various difficulties in the treatment and disposal system—in combination with the rising consumption of mass commodities, especially after the 1960s—the development of the Greek industry, the increase of the general population, and the pollution of the Mediterranean basin are the main concerns of the agents involved. While the debate has mainly been focused on garbage as consequence of the development of the country and only technological and organizational solutions have been proposed, there is a need for an understanding of garbage as a cultural, political, and economic phenomenon. A major problem has been the divergent views between environmentalists, communities, and state officials. The Greek informal garbage economy, for example, has been largely neglected as a source of collection, management, and recycling of waste.

In the 21st century, Greece enjoyed an average annual growth of almost 4 percent before a debt crisis in 2010 led to austerity measures and social unrest. Over 10 million people live in Greece, about one-third in the Athens urban area. As a member of the European Union, Greece has benefited from the influx of European cohesion funds and subsidies. A significant part of EU cohesion funds and public investment, as well as major public works for the 2004 Olympic Games, were dedicated to Greece's infrastructure network. Environmental projects have been initiated, including various efforts to invest in alternative energy, as both the government and businesses have to take certain measures to meet the country's obligations to the EU. In particular, recycling, solid and hazardous waste treatment, and alternative energy sources in Greece fall short of EU averages.