WasteServ Malta Ltd is calling on the public to squash plastic bottles before disposing of them at the bring-in sites. Squashing the bottles saves a lot of space, and will help WasteServ become more efficient in the process of collecting and disposing of waste generated from treating plastic bottles.

Since plastic is one of the most popular kind of waste being separated at source and disposed of, extra bins for plastic are being placed at the 200 bring-in sites around the country.

In 2007, 500,470 kilograms of plastic alone has been collected from bring-in sites by WasteServ, nearly double that collected in 2005. Each bottle is currently being sorted out by hand at the temporary facility at Marsa, until the Sant’Antnin waste treatment plant resumes its operations later on this month. Plastic is then sent for recycling.

“There has been an overwhelming response from the public to WasteServ’s bring-in sites around Malta and Gozo,” said Vince Magri, chief executive officer at WasteServ. “If plastic bottles are squashed at source, it will mean more free space at the bring-in sites to be used by residents and the community.”