A study published today ranks Malta as second on a graph of EU countries measuring the generation of municipal waste in the EU member states in 2016, and reports Malta as having over 150 kg above the EU average.

Municipal waste refers to the waste mainly generated by households, but also includes waste from sources such as shops, offices and public institutions, according to Eurostat.

The Eurostat report marks Malta as generating 647 kg of municipal waste per person in 2016, placing second after Denmark (777 kg) and before Cyprus (640 kg), Germany (626 kg) and Luxembourg (614 kg).

The EU average of municipal waste generation per person in 2016 was 480 kg, meaning Malta placed above the average by 167 kg.

The number has increased gradually over the last few years. In 2014, Malta generated 600 kg of municipal waste per person, and 624 kg in 2015.

On the opposite end of the scale was Romania (261 kg), Poland (307 kg) and Czech Republic (339 kg).

Only 7 per cent of generated waste recycled, study shows

Only 20 thousand tonnes was recycled from 283 thousand tonnes of waste generated, meaning that only seven percent of municipal waste generated was recycled in 2016, the study’s figures shows.

Out of the 283 thousand tonnes, 255 thousands tonnes received ‘total waste treatment’, from which 235 thousand tonnes received ‘landfill disposal’, one thousand tonnes was incinerated (which includes energy recovery) and 20 thousand tonnes were recycled and 0 tonnes were composted, according to the research.