The Illegal Trash Volcano Burning in Kalymnos

For decades there’s been an active volcano on the Greek island of Kalymnos. It isn’t a geological phenomenon or a natural formation, though—it’s an illegal dump on the picturesque island where garbage is burned nearly every day. The problem isn’t unique to Kalymnos. According to the latest data from the Ministry of the Environment, Greece has 39 active illegal landfills, 21 of which are on the Greek islands. The country has been fined millions of euros by the European Union, but the problem persists. When garbage and plastics are burned like they are in Kalymnos, they release toxic substances into the air, wreaking havoc on the environment and public health. VICE Greece recently headed over to Kalymnos to check out the trash volcano and try to figure out why illegal dumps like this one are burning across the country to this day. WATCH NEXT: Cocaine: Narcos, Sicarios, and Peru (Part 1) - Click here to subscribe to VICE: