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3.2.5 Porto Carras Resort

Porto Carras is a resort in Halkidiki Greece, eight times awarded by Conde Nast Traveller. Porto Carras features two 5 star hotels, a world-class villa, a luxurious casino and two thalassotherapy & spa centers. Furthermore, it contains an 18-hole golf course, a conference hall, a horse riding academy, a tennis club with 9 courts, a diving center, a nautical club, 3 helipads, 2 waterways and a 315-berth marina.

Porto Carras has been awarded with the Green Key Eco label31.

Circular economy practices already applied by the hotel management are the following:

1. Recycling wastewater to cover the golf course' irrigational needs. The resort uses a tertiary biological waste treatment plant (UV-clorination). The treated water is transferred to 3 reservoirs with a total capacity of 40.000 m3 after which the treated water is used to cover the irrigation needs of the golf course. This practice is in line with the provision for combating water scarcity, as mentioned in EU Action Plan for Circular Economy.   

2. Sustainable use of sewage sludge in agriculture. Porto Carras has the largest vineyard in Greece which covers 475 ha. In its tertiary biological waste treatement plant, the sewage sludge passes from a filter press and then sorted and dried in order to be used as an organic fertiliser for the vineyards as long a quality standards allow it. 

The evidence of succes is reduced waste, reduced arrigational water consu,ption and increased capacity of produced fertiliser.

The specific waste treatment plant treats 80% of phosphates and nitrates. The remaining percentage of nitrates and phosphates (20%) which is overlaid in the bottom of the reservoirs, creates the eutrophication phenomenon. The eutrophication is evident from the bright green water, caused by a dense bloom of cyanobacteria. In the event that eutrophication appears in the reservoirs, the water has to be discharged and the sewage sludge must be removed. The phenomenon appears approximately every 5 years34.