AFIS Cyprus collected over 1,000 tonnes of batteries: a record result for 2025

AFIS Cyprus — the island’s only licensed operator for the management of used batteries — has summed up the results of 2025, a year that became historic for the country’s environmental system. Since the start of its operations in 2009, the organization has surpassed the milestone of 1 million kilograms of collected batteries, removing more than 1,000 tonnes of hazardous waste from the environment.

In 2025 alone, 3,245 emptyings of special containers were carried out across Cyprus, resulting in the collection of 91,111 kg of portable batteries. According to the organization, these figures confirm a strong environmental culture among residents and businesses, despite the economic and social challenges of recent years.

A key role in achieving this result was played by the expansion of infrastructure: today the AFIS network includes 6,135 containers located in supermarkets, shopping centres, schools, government institutions and banks, making battery recycling accessible almost everywhere in the country.

The organization was established as a non-profit initiative by the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry together with major battery importers, in order to comply with the requirements of the European Directive 2006/66/EC. From its earliest years, AFIS placed a strong emphasis on education — school competitions, educational programmes and information campaigns in the media.

While in 2009 there were only a few hundred containers and collections amounted to just a few tonnes, today AFIS is considered one of the most successful recycling operators in Europe when measured per capita.

The organization’s management emphasizes that the achieved result is not a reason to stop: every battery sent for recycling reduces the risk of soil and groundwater pollution. The work continues with a focus on the next million.