The Green Page

As some of you will already have guessed our ‘Lifestyle Two’ page is geared towards eco friendly issues and concerns here on Crete (the green theme might be a bit of a give away!). Crete is a lovely island to be living on, and we’d like to keep it that way. We’d love to hear your news, views and suggestions about how to maintain and / or improve our environment. Get in touch and let us know!

You’ll find our contact details and copy deadline on our This Month page.

Water. Thirst Quencher, Part 1!

Uta Wagner our local nutrition expert writes: ‘It goes without saying that water is vital for the human organism. Every day our bodies needs - depending on our level of activity, health status or temperature - at least two to three litres of liquid. If deprived of water, the first organ that will suffer is our brain. At only a 5% deficit of water, our brain will not be able to operate at full capacity any more.

Which type of water is best for us? And how are we to decide? Tap (mains) water, mineral water, table water, spring water, curative water, water in plastic or in glass bottles, sparkling or still water, treated water or water with additives? The list goes on

As you know, the tap water here in Crete is generally safe to drink. If it tastes OK and if it is not treated with chlorine, then there should be no problem. Bottled water that is sold in glass bottles, (for example sparkling water, or water with extra oxygen) is not as readily available as in some other parts of the world. Here on Crete you’re more likely to find that bottled water in supermarkets will come in plastic bottles rather than glass. These plastic bottles (PET bottles) release certain substances into the water. In most cases the key substance that is released is acetaldehyde, which is non toxic. It can affect the taste slightly, though. But if the plastic bottles are standing in the sun and get very hot other substances which can be harmful may be released into the water. So, when you go shopping, make sure that you only buy water that has stood in the shade!

Legally there are clear distinctions that must be made between spring water, table water and mineral water. All bottled water has to undergo tests before it is able to qualify as ’drinking water’. Spring water must be bottled at source; however, it does not matter whether the water is bottled at the bottom or on the surface of the spring. Many Cretans pick up their own spring water, (places with no tests), from one of the many natural sources that exist here. For table water it does not matter where it is bottled and whether it comes from an underground source, from the tap or purified surface water. Mineral water, strictly speaking, should come from an deep underground source and must have a certain number of verified minerals. All bottled Cretan waters are constantly monitored and controlled to ensure quality and safety. Some good examples of Cretan table waters include : Samaria, Gortys, Faragi, Lyttos, Club Krini and Rizitiko. For Cretan mineral waters try Zaros (of course!) and Loutraki.

And, think about it - water is not only important for your health, it makes you attractive too!’

Where Can I Recycle Waste Items?

Apart from using the blue and yellow recycling bins for household waste other items can be recycled as follows:
Disposal of broken electrical goods. There is a depot just outside town which will take anything ‘that had a plug on it’ (including washing machines and fridges). Drivers, take the National Road towards Heraklion in Misiria. Turn off the highway after about 100—150 metres, hang a right and you should soon see recycling bins etc. The depot is open from 6am to 3pm on weekdays, and from 6am to 12 noon at weekends. For further information call 28310 57940. For large objects that need collection call 195 from any phone.
Old telephones and small telecoms items. There is a green bin in the entrance of the main OTE office..
Batteries. various places in town including OTE, DEI, Germanos, Marinopoulos and Champion.
Old cars. DRAKOS on the left hand side of the National Road a short way out of Rethymnon (going towards Hania). They even pay you as they recycle the spares and give you a paper for tax purposes!
Used cooking oil: Four containers for used cooking oil have now been placed in Rethymnon. They are located at: the entrance to the industrial port (near old harbour); the South entrance to the municipal park; Agios Giorgos Church (Kallithea) and Kapodistriou street (also in Kallithea). Just open the lid on the top and pour your used oil into the container. The recycled cooking oil is going towards producing bio-fuel and soap.