At least seven fires have broken out at recycling facilities across Greece in the past 60 days, according to a report by Kathimerini. Nationwide, nearly 300 recycling scrapyards are believed to be operating under unclear conditions, with incomplete licensing and substandard safety practices.
In the Sindos Industrial Zone alone, two separate fires occurred on July 11 and 14 in different facilities. One of them had an excessive accumulation of materials, which made firefighting efforts more difficult. In most cases, the fires are not suspected to be arson but are attributed to spontaneous combustion of waste piles stored outdoors, as seen in Lesvos and Alexandroupoli.
The year 2018 marked a turning point, as China stopped accepting recyclable materials from Greece due to poor quality—often contaminated with food waste and liquids.
Between 2018 and 2020, 25 fires were recorded at such facilities. Since 2024, authorities have carried out nine inspections, identifying ten violations.
“The lack of oversight, non-compliance with basic safety rules, and improper disposal practices should have already triggered judicial action,” noted the Panhellenic Federation of Local Government Workers at the time.
A 2020 report by the Greek Ombudsman also pointed out that while these facilities were presented as environmentally friendly and appeared to hold the necessary licenses, they frequently operated in breach of their terms, causing environmental damage. In many cases, garbage was found piled outside designated boundaries.
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