WELLNESS HUB

XpatAthens
Family-Friendly Ways To Reduce Plastic Pollution In Greece
- 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic has been produced since plastic was introduced in the 1950s. The amount of plastic produced in a year is roughly the same as the entire weight of humanity.
- Nearly 2 million single-use plastic bags are distributed worldwide every minute.
- One million plastic bottles are bought every minute around the world — that number will top half a trillion by 2021. And less than half of those bottles end up getting recycled.
- 8 million metric tons of plastic winds up in our oceans each year. That’s enough trash to cover every foot of coastline around the world with five full trash bags of plastic…compounding every year.
- There is more microplastic in the ocean than there are stars in the Milky Way.
- If plastic production isn’t curbed, plastic pollution will outweigh fish pound for pound by 2050.
Plastic Free Greece is an organization that raises awareness amongst schools and communities in Greece about the harm of single-use plastic. The organization's mission is 'To raise awareness about the harm of plastic pollution in Greece and to break the habit of single-use plastic through education, by encouraging beach clean ups, and through petitions to effect change.'
Fight Against Plastic Pollution With These 4 Simple Steps
- Water Bottles - Students can pledge to bring re-fillable water bottles to school (and parents can bring them to work).
- Refill Greece Station - Students can convince at least 1 local shop (it can be a store, coffee shop, or anything with opening hours) to become a Refill Greece Station - all it requires is for the shop to place a sticker on its window to show that it will refill passersby' water bottles with potable tap water for free.
- 'Sto Potiri Mou' Network - Students can try and convince local coffee shops to become part of the "Sto Potiri Mou" network - these are coffee shops all over Greece that offer discounts on takeaway beverages if you bring your own refillable cup. Even better, also convince the shop to stop using plastic straws.
- Sign Plastic Free Greece's Petitions - Plastic Free Greece intends to lobby politicians, businesses and consumers to change their habits so as to reduce their plastic footprint. Click HERE to read and sign the petitions.
Facts Source: Earth Day
The City's Third "Pocket Park" Is In Pagrati
The first such park came in Kypseli and was a test for this environmental upgrade which follows the same strategies implemented in many other European countries as well as in America.
Its successful implementation led to the creation and completion of a second park in Kolonos and this most recent one in Pagrati, makes it the third and largest "Pocket Park" created so far. The creation of this park began with a local citizen taking initiative through the Adopt Your City program, which then lead to the coporate sponsorship from P&G, and the local support of Organization Earth (Organosi Gi) - all of these efforts came together to make it possible.
This pocket park in Pagrati was designed with the aim of being an ecosystem that will contribute to the aesthetic and climatic upgrade of the wider area, to the capture of carbon dioxide and to the increase of biodiversity. It is an area of 750 sq.m. with dense planting of more than 1,150 species of plants and trees were placed, including robinia, simidae and native aromatic plants. The impressive number of different plants and the density of their planting, contribute to the creation of an ecosystem with benefits for the neighborhood.
Most of the park's construction has been made from reused wood, such as railway sleepers, while a sustainable water drainage system has been installed to enrich the aquifer and irrigate the trees. The lighting of the park is produced by autonomous photovoltaics aiming to reduce light pollution and illuminate at 100% in the first hours, then at 80% for four hours and yield 25% by morning. Walking corridors, seats and bicycle seats were installed in the park and water supply was provided for visitors as well as for the birds and animals of the city.
"Athens has been under a lot of pressure all these years, especially during the pandemic. We have put forward a plan to create space for Athenians. Space that we need for everyone to live with dignity in their neighborhood. It is not only the environmental benefits that the city acquires but also the creation of places that have a social character. "Each corner should have its own breath, its own green reference point and, finally, to bring to light areas within the urban fabric that over time had become a burden for the neighborhood." said the Mayor of Athens Mr. Bakoyannis.
XpatAthens extends a warm thank you to This Is Athens and the City Of Athens for sharing news and inspiring stories about how Athens aspires to be a clean, friendly, and welcoming city to live in.
The Pocket Parks Of Athens - A Great Way To Tackle Pollution
The idea of pocket parks, a new way to upgrade urban space, has found fertile ground in the Greek capital, which is focusing on the green and sustainable development of the urban fabric. Athens, like many other large cities around Europe and the world, suffers from a lack of free public spaces.
The urban planning model of previous decades and the conditions created in the city, especially after the waves of domestic migration from rural areas to the capital, have resulted in a cramped living environment, not just in the centre of the city but also in many other districts.
Scientists around the world dealing with climate change and construction are sounding the alarm, pointing to pocket gardens as an essential way of improving everyday life in the city in many areas. In the US and the UK, 'pocket parks' are already being considered as a means of tackling crime and isolation in densely populated areas and, above all, protecting the environment. These practices are also being adopted in Athens, where this concept of small gardens is now being introduced in many corners of the city, as part of the "Adopt Your City" program.
So, what are exactly pocket parks? '''Pocket parks'' are green spaces in sites that have been abandoned for many years and have turned into rubbish dumps. They are located in densely populated neighborhoods of the city and become the bases to utilize every last inch of public space for the benefit of the cities’ inhabitants. These parks are great assets for a city; not only do they contribute to the protection of the environment thanks to their plants and cooling effects, but they also play a role in addressing the isolation felt by large cities’ dwellers. This benefit is ever more important during the pandemic. In other words, they have a very significant social contribution.
The Municipality of Athens has already created four pocket parks in the districts of Kypseli, Kolonos, Pangrati, and Metaxourgeio. This is just the beginning, as the municipal authorities plan to create more parks in other neighborhoods as well as in the city centre, in order to reclaim spaces that have been abandoned for many years.
Of particular interest is the way in which pocket parks are designed in order to become year-round green lungs, using eco-friendly concrete in the pavement and footways, recycled wood benches, densely planted evergreen and deciduous trees, and an underground irrigation system. The flowerbeds are bordered with low evergreen shrubs (myrtle leaf) to prevent people from stepping on them, while a corner is transformed into a vertical garden by placing climbing shrubs. There are also signs next to each plant giving useful information about its identity, as well as structures for useful insect nests. In addition, the gardens are lighted by state-of-the-art autonomous photovoltaic systems, including a digital panel with information on temperature, humidity and other environmental factors.
To read this article in full, please visit: greeknewsagenda.gr
One Man’s Trash: Greek Designers Go Green
But even before the reduce, reuse, recycle movement hit the headlines, young Greek entrepreneurs have been saving throwaways from sea or landfill and using them to create homeware and accessories that are as alluring as they are ethical.

Credit: Thomas Gravanis
At street bins around Athens, you’ll frequently see old drawers, bedsteads, and pallets waiting to be landfilled. Rokani gives this junk a new lease of life. “It started when one of us was renovating his own home. We experimented with upcycling some of the pallets, and then thought, why not take this further?” says Stratos Hadjiyiannakis, one of Rokani’s five founding members. “We all came from a technical background. After the economic crisis we were looking for an opportunity to start something for ourselves.”


Courtesy: Think Sea
Think Sea invites donations of ‘retired’ windsurf sails at its base on the island of Paros. The design team transforms them into trendy and durable phone/tablet cases, bags, and wallets. Sounds esoteric? Indeed. But as windsurfing sails are not recyclable, every new rig discarded after a summer of wear and tear was ending up in a landfill. Who knows, that bold color-block duffel bag you are eyeing up might once have carried champion windsurfer Nikos Kaklamanakis to Olympic victory!

Credit: Thomas Gravanis
Chris Alefantis has his social and environmental awareness hat on. You may have noticed people standing outside metro stations throughout the city in red Shedia vests selling a magazine by the same name. Aimed at empowering people in poverty, Shedia does much more than sell street papers. The leftover issues are used to create art objects, from lampshades to flower pots to clocks to delicate bracelets, necklaces, and earrings, by people over the age of 50 who previously had difficulty finding employment. “We’re making the invisible visible again,” Alefantis says, referring to both the people that are being helped and the magazines that would have otherwise been thrown out for recycling. Check out their store on Kolokotroni street, which also just opened as a café and restaurant or the offshoot in the nearby Merchants arcade. Affordability and responsibility is the new black.
Six Greek Cities To Become EU Climate-Neutral & Smart Cities
The Mission for Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities is a novelty of the Horizon Europe research and innovation program for 2021-2027. It aims to bring concrete solutions to the enormous challenge of climate change and digital transformation. The selection of the Greek cities is a great success for the country and it is the result of hard work and cooperation between the 6 cities and the Greek Environment Ministry in the last two years.
Kozani: The energy producing area of Greece
Kozani is a city in northern Greece, the capital of the Kozani region of West Macedonia. The city is known for its large lignite power plants making it, so far, the leading energy-producing area of Greece. After the Greek government’s decision though about the closure of all coal-fired plants by 2028 (the deadline for Kozani being in 2023), local authorities have been preparing a new Strategic Plan for the city aiming to contribute to a smoother transition toward a clean energy regime. The new plan includes policies that will be innovative in energy efficiency through the development of Renewable Energy Sources enhancing at the same time the digital transformation of the local economy and governance.
Trikala: The first digital city of Greece
Trikala sits at the heart of the Greek mainland, located in the region of Thessaly and it has the reputation of being a frontrunner as a smart city, being labeled in 2004 as Greece’s “first digital city”. Today under the name “Smart Trikala”, public authorities have developed a wide range of digital solutions to help improve the lives of citizens and the city has performed highly in terms of innovation results. Trikala is one of the most dynamic medium-sized cities in Europe, being a pioneer in designing innovative ICT solutions in electromobility, energy, e-health, and open governance for the benefit of its citizens.
Ioannina: The lake city of Epirus
Ioannina is the capital of Epirus, a north-western region of Greece, and a beautiful lake city with long history built on Egnatia Odos, an ancient route that connects Europe with Asia. The economy of Ioannina has purely urban characteristics determined by the fact that the city is the commercial and administrative center of the region. Sustainable urban development, with respect and protection of the natural environment, is among the key elements and major strategic goals of all policy strategies and plans of the Municipality.
Kalamata: The Mediterranean city of the southwestern Peloponnese
Kalamata is a Mediterranean city of the southwestern Peloponnese and the capital of Messinia, being faced occasionally with extreme weather events. To deal with the effects of climate change, local authorities in Kalamata have been implementing national and EU projects of more than 120 million Euros for the last 5 years, while at the same time through their participation in these programs local authorities have gained important knowledge and they have participated in beneficial synergies and networks.
To read this article in full, please visit: greeknewsagenda.com
Main image: @dimos.kozanis
Top 5 Energy Conservation Benefits That Go Beyond Saving Money
Grand Opening Of The Piraeus Tower: A New Era For The Iconic Building
Originally published in Greek, on: thebest.gr
Why It’s Never Too Cold In Greece: Embracing Our Unique Climate
- Accessible Outdoors: Winter doesn’t mean shutting ourselves inside. Hiking, walks by the sea, and even outdoor sports are still enjoyable, thanks to the pleasant weather.
- Seasonal Produce: Greece’s winter markets overflow with fresh, seasonal produce like oranges, mandarins, and hearty greens, perfect for warming meals like traditional stews and pies.
- Lower Energy Costs: Milder temperatures mean less reliance on heating, making winters not just more comfortable but also more affordable.
- Mood-Boosting Sunshine: Greece’s winters are often sunny, even if the air is chilly. Sunlight is a natural mood lifter, helping stave off the “winter blues” that many experience in darker, colder climates.
Study In Greece
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Domestic and international students who wish to, or already study in Greece for a higher education degree.
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Students who participate to exchange programs, such as Erasmus+.
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Refugees , immigrants and those who need international assistance, in order to foster integration into the Greek education system.
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Any other case of students, or potential students.
Our Incentives
Our international students expressed and described the difficulties they faced during all stages of applying, registering and settling in Greece. This, provided the motivation to form the Study In Greece group and start working on the gathering and the provision of information to international students, showing that Greece is a very friendly and a very safe destination. The initiative has gained very high popularity among potential and existing international students, a fact that is supported by the large number of questions and ‘likes’ we have through our presence in the social networks.
- Contribute to the international spread of the Greek culture.
- Support in making Greece a favorite destination for higher studies among international students and for all levels of higher education.
- Extend the provided information and support to include refugees and people seeking international protection.
- Expand the group and create a network of students and faculty members across all higher education institutions in Greece.
- Create a European and International network of higher education institutions to support student mobility.
- Serve as the main portal providing information and support, even at the individual level, for international students.
- Provide continuously updated information regarding the higher education news, like new postgraduate programs announcements, legislation, news, etc.
World Spay Day - Sponsor A Cat Today
Unneutered tomcats can create many problems on the streets - to themselves and also those unfortunate enough to get in their way. Five-month-old Gretel was found with a serious scratch wound on her face. And Snow White, who is only 9 months old, was attacked by an unneutered tomcat, likely either trying to mate with her or scare her off his turf.
They can father potentially hundreds of kittens in their lifetimes, adding to the overpopulation of stray cats in Athens.
Each February, Nine Lives participates in the Humane Society International’s World Spay Day – a global campaign that spotlights the importance of spaying/neutering.
Spaying/neutering is a proven way to reduce stray cat populations and improve their everyday quality of life. To mark World Spay Day, Nine Lives issues a challenge to supporters: help spay/neuter as many cats possible in one month!
For as little as €35, you can become a Friend of Nine Lives today and a cat will be spayed/neutered, get anti-parasite treatment and receive much-needed medical attention, all thanks to you!
Click HERE to read their stories and choose a cat (or cats) that you would like to sponsor!