Over a year has passed since our entry into EU and I think it is pertinent to take stock of the situation as far as Malta’s solid waste disposal strategy is concerned.

I did not (and do not) agree with the government’s decision to continue using landfills as one of the major components of our solid waste disposal strategy and the events of the last 12 months have re-enforced my opinion.

We now have the first example of a controlled or engineered landfill at Ta’ Zwejra (which is for all intents and purposes, part of Maghtab).

Within this short space of time Ta’ Zwejra has risen to the height of Maghtab. What is going to happen now? Are we going to have a new Ta’ Zwejra every year? Imagine 20 such mountains over the next 20 years. It is just not possible. We do not have the space and please let us stop referring to them as landfills when every time the result is a horrible mountain of rubbish.

Government’s decision to use construction waste to fill old quarries was a good one. These quarries will eventually be filled and by that time we should have a land reclamation project lined up to take all our construction waste.

The only sustainable solution to the other solid waste that we cannot re-cycle is to incinerate it. Modern technology eliminates all toxic fumes and also permits the generation of energy as part of the process. This method is used in many countries and I am sure the EU will readily provide funds to finance such a project. Let us use this strategy and really close all landfills once and for all.

Denis Zammit Cutajar

Bahar ic-Caghaq