What is Tiganokinisi?

Tiganokinisi is an educational and environmental programme for the collection of Used Cooking Oil (UCO), successfully implemented in more than 500 schools across Cyprus. Through this initiative, we turn a highly polluting waste product into a valuable resource. The collected UCO is processed into biodiesel, and the funds generated from it are reinvested in schools. These resources help improve school infrastructure, support environmental education, and implement sustainability projects that benefit students and their communities. Above all, we want children to understand that waste is not just waste—waste has value! Tiganokinisi began as a pilot project in 2011, involving 5 schools of all educational levels in the Municipality of Aglantzia. Since September 2013, it has been expanded nationwide. The programme is managed by the AKTI Project and Research Centre in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the Unit for Education for the Environment and Sustainable Development, with support from Chevron Cyprus Ltd. This programme offers an innovative approach to environmental education, integrating hands-on activities. Learning occurs through action and the application of environmentally-friendly practices. This is facilitated through the mobile experimental unit, the Tiganokinisi caravan, which visits numerous schools each year. Since 2022, with the support of Chevron, the caravan has been conducting experiments on a wide range of topics, including energy and water conservation, as well as the transformation of used cooking oil into biodiesel through the chemical process of esterification. Used cooking oil plays a key role in sustaining the programme and supporting schools: it is recycled, and the funds generated are used to implement green technologies that help establish sustainable school practices. Youth Participation: Unlike adults, children and youth have not yet developed ingrained habits, so interventions promoting environmentally conscious behaviors are more easily embraced. Furthermore, young people act as agents of change, spreading environmentally friendly habits to their families and friends. Public Commitment / Support: Local authorities and businesses participate by donating their used cooking oil (or part of it) to schools, as part of their corporate social responsibility programs. Technological Innovation: Students are encouraged to experiment, create their own digital or physical applications, products, or processes, and test their ideas.

AKTI is a licensed collector and transporter of used cooking oil, accredited by the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Environment. It holds certification under the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) standard for sustainable biofuels and energy.

Aims and Objectives of the Programme

To inform, educate, collaborate, and raise awareness among students, teachers, parents, and the wider community on issues of sustainable development and environmental protection
To convert a toxic waste (used cooking oil) into a useful product, biodiesel
To foster collaboration between schools and the community
To improve the environmental character of the school unit
To contribute to the autonomy of school units
To promote corporate social responsibility and establish networks of collaboration and communication between the school, the community, and all stakeholders
To educate students, parents, and civil society in techniques, technologies, and practices that they can apply in their daily lives to save energy and water
To assist in the environmental orientation of school buildings and spaces through specific interventions and changes that will be systematic, address the needs of the school, and align with the implementation of each school’s Sustainable Environmental Education Policy
To enhance the Detailed Curriculum of Environmental Education (EE)/Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) by producing educational materials on the management of used cooking oil

AKTI

AKTI, Project and Research Centre, is a non-governmental, non-profit organization based in Nicosia. AKTI has established an extensive network of partners and volunteers to enhance environmental awareness and promote sustainable development. AKTI successfully implemts the Tiganokinisi Programme in collaboration with the Unit for Education for the Environment and Sustainable Development (EESD) of the Ministry of Education. For more information about AKTI please click here.