Tilos: The Small Island Showing the Way to Sustainability

Tilos, a quiet little island in the Dodecanese with about 800 inhabitants, has managed to become a global example of how a place can live in harmony with the environment. With smart ideas and collaborations, the island has radically changed the way it produces energy and manages its waste.

Until a few years ago, Tilos depended on Kos for electricity, through an undersea cable that often broke down. When problems occurred, diesel generators had to be used. This changed thanks to the European program TILOS (Horizon 2020). Since 2019, the island has been producing almost all its energy from renewable sources, mainly wind and solar. Thus, Tilos became the first island in the Mediterranean to achieve energy self-sufficiency. Clean energy now covers not only the needs of the residents but also street lighting, the charging of electric vehicles, and the operation of electric buses. Surplus energy is even fed back into the national grid. Within just three years, the system produced over 3,000 MWh of clean energy, saving the atmosphere from about 3,000 tons of CO₂.

A similar revolution took place with the waste. Until recently, 87% of it ended up in landfill. Today, that number is zero! The program “Just Go Zero Tilos”, implemented in collaboration with the company Polygreen, made the island the first municipality in Greece and the first island in the world to be certified as “zero waste.” Collection is done door-to-door, with no bins on the streets. Residents separate their waste into categories (recyclables, organics, residuals), while through an app they can track the “waste” they produce. The old landfill has been turned into a Circular Innovation Center, where materials are recycled, composted, or reused. At the same time, activities and events are organized to strengthen ecological awareness.

But Tilos does not rely only on technology. For years it has had a strong environmental protection policy: hunting is banned, and species such as Eleonora’s falcons and Mediterranean monk seals are protected.

Tilos is also an ideal island for hiking, with 54 kilometers of trails crossing mountainous landscapes with breathtaking views of the Aegean, leading to pristine beaches such as Limenari and Agios Petros, accessible only on foot. Along the way, visitors can stop at the abandoned settlement of Gera or climb up to the medieval Castle of the Knights for panoramic views, while the deserted Mikro Chorio, abandoned in the 1950s, comes alive on summer nights thanks to its unique bar. For easier beach access, Livadia, right by the port, offers clear waters, fine pebbles, and plenty of amenities, while Eristos impresses with its vast sandy beach that attracts families, nudists, and groups of friends alike. In the picturesque seaside village of Agios Antonios, with its palm trees and turquoise waters, the atmosphere evokes the slow, nostalgic summers of childhood, complete with small tavernas and cafés by the sea. Although the island’s rugged terrain and limited rental cars can make getting around tricky, those who love walking will be rewarded with experiences they will never forget.