Greece’s island of Tilos has become a symbol of sustainability for the whole of Europe, winning the first prize in the “Supporting Sustainable Transition” category at the 2024 European Entrepreneurship Promotion Awards (EEPA) earlier this week.
Tilos also won the top Grand Jury Award which recognizes the most creative and inspiring initiative promoting entrepreneurship in Europe.
Presenting the Award, EEPA described Tilos as a “beacon of sustainability” and a reference point for Europe and added that the small island’s commendable efforts have become a source of inspiration for countries and communities seeking solutions for a sustainable future.
The EEPA recognizes and rewards exceptional initiatives supporting entrepreneurship at the national, regional and local levels. With a record number of 442 entries from 29 countries this year, Germany, Turkey, Denmark, Serbia, Estonia, Greece, and France emerged as the winning countries across the various categories. Each presented unique projects that inspire, foster and facilitate business growth and innovation within their respective fields.
Tilos won the title due to the ongoing project “Just Go Zero Tilos.” The initiative implemented a technologically advanced system for waste management on the island, supported by community consultation and awareness raising, to encourage a circular economy.
Having successfully diverted 100 percent of waste from landfills and boosting the recycling rate to 93 percent, the project offers a replicable model for sustainable waste management for other communities.
The engagement with the island’s residents and the business community, alongside use of low-carbon technology, was highly commended by the jury.
Sustainability victory of Tilos “belongs to all of Greece”
Receiving the award, Mayor Maria Kamma highlighted that “this victory does not belong only to Tilos. It belongs to all Greeks who believe that we can change the world. It is proof that even the smallest island can leave its mark on history.”
In words full of emotion, she praised the real heroes, the inhabitants of Tilos, who believed and worked to turn the vision into reality.
“This award is a call for all of Greece to embrace sustainability. Our journey does not end here—it has just begun,” she added.
When “Just Go Zero” was initiated, residents of the sparsely populated island received bags and containers to separate their trash into recyclables, biowaste, and non-recyclables.
Trucks collect trash from homes three or four times a week, and the facility separates it into 25 streams. The greatest percentage is recycled or reused while a minuscule amount is processed for energy use.
As Mayor Kamma noted, “We proved that innovation does not start from the center, but from our small islands, which can serve as examples,” and she referred to the late mayor, Tassos Aliferis, who “convinced the local community we could stand on our own two feet.”
Tilos is also Greece’s first energy-self-sufficient island
Tilos, lying between Nisyros in the north and Rhodes in the south, long a site of pioneering programs, also covers nearly 100 percent of its energy needs through renewable energy sources.
With a population of just over 500 people and the addition of 13,000 tourists a year, Tilos was the first out of 80 total projects chosen to receive funding under an EU program called “Horizon 2020.”
The main goal of the Tilos project was the creation of Greece’s first hybrid power station, which produces energy from its very own wind farm and solar power generators that it later stores in batteries.
With the project now completed, Tilos can boast of becoming completely self-sufficient in energy.
“I am very proud of what we have achieved,” Maria Kamma-Aliferi told Greek Reporter recently.
“Our success is a lesson for all island communities in Greece,” she commented happily.
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