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One of the major problems of modern cities is waste management. Cooperation and active public participation are key elements in the effective implementation of waste management programs. The purpose of this work is to investigate the views and attitudes of Athens residents towards recycling, composting and the operation of green centers, which are the key elements of solid waste management as it follows from the recently updated National Waste Management Plan. A structured questionnaire was designed and addressed to the residents of Athens. According to the main findings, half of the respondents are involved in recycling, and the majority of the respondents are willing to participate in future composting programs and have a positive opinion about the operation of green centers. The main obstacle for their further participation is their hesitation regarding the proper operation of the programs (recycling, composting, green centers). There is a need to build up the trust between citizens and the state. Active public involvement is required to successfully implement municipal solid waste strategies during all the phases (planning, siting and operation) in order to ensure public acceptance. In addition, targeted information and awareness campaigns can also contribute to this aim.

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The Greek economic crisis of 2009 onwards has affected all aspects of social and economic life of the country, including transportation. The present study focuses on the impact of economic crisis on the long distance transportation between the island of Crete in Greece, the largest Greek island and one of the largest in the Mediterranean Sea, and the Greek mainland. A questionnaire survey was used to investigate the opinions of the Cretans on the way the economic crisis influenced their transportation to the Greek mainland. The results of the survey show that the frequency of the Cretans’ travels was significantly limited, owing to the increased direct or indirect associated cost, due to the economic crisis. Especially for those who struggled to make ends meet, the transportation to the mainland dropped to the bare essentials. Furthermore, the respondents deemed that the deregulation of the Greek maritime and airline markets was also to blame for the high fares, thus they favoured a regulated public transport sector and were against privatization. Inevitably, financially vulnerable individuals were the most preoccupied with these issues. A feeling of isolation and exclusion was revealed by the sample on occasions when the scheduled trips were cancelled by the operators due to exogenous parameters.