Today I went to my area's recycling station (Nea Makri, Attiki). I was disgusted by the lack of guidance and organization but most of all by the lack of what all this is about: recycling!

• First of all, there is no sign or other obvious clue as to where you're supposed to go or park with your car.
• Second there's no clear indication as to what each bin is for. If you add to that the fact that no information leaflet has come to each home and the general unwillingness of the average Greek to be thorough what you get is a lot of mistakes which means bad or less recycling.
• Third, there are still no bins for battery recycling as well as medicines, etc. although there should have been and the lady I called 3-4 months ago told me that they would be there in 2 weeks tops.
• Fourth, all bins are constantly left uncovered because everybody is too lazy to cover them back.
• Fifth, people just don't care. They just throw in whatever.
• Sixth, people just do not recycle many of the things they should be. For instance both the bins for electrical devices and light-bulbs were completely empty, 8pm Monday.
• Seventh, instead of having all bins neatly parked together in the same general area they have them strangely divided into two groups - one in the front and the other in the back of the mayor's office building.
• Eighth, the electric bulbs bin has no cover and is kept under no roof or other protection whatsoever. They have even made a few holes in the box for rain water to come out and run in the streets full of lead and other contaminants from possibly broken economy bulbs. 20 meters away there's a children's park. Nice!

While throwing my non-working electrical appliances and components into the appropriate bins, two guys came over and threw two big bags of glass bottles in them - I am under the impression they were full too because one of them asked me if I drank wine!? At least they removed them and went to throw them in the appropriate bin after I told them.

Pictures of this idiotic experience follow:

Hurray for Greek recycling!