“Environment islands” have been placed in several areas of the air terminal, each consisting of three colour-coded units to separate plastic, glass and paper. The islands were designed by MIA personnel to blend aesthetically with the ambience of the air terminal, and in conjunction with waste management regulator WasteServ Malta Ltd.

During the launch, MIA chief executive officer Peter Bolech said the waste management policy is another concrete step in the company’s commitment to improve the environment.

“We have set out a long-term policy to support Malta’s environment, and waste management is another tangible step in this direction. The air terminal has always been looked upon as an exemplary building, praised for its cleanliness and upkeep, and we are confident that our policy will motivate other companies to follow suit,” said Mr Bolech.

MIA has set up an internal committee on environmental issues and the company sent a number of employees to Vienna for training on environment-friendly initiatives.

Airport service providers have also been involved in the policy and have been encouraged to abide by it. In line with such improvements, Euro Hygiene, the contractor responsible for cleaning at the airport, has invested in equipment for waste separation.

Mr Bolech also presented book tokens worth Lm300 to Mellieha Primary School as a gesture of appreciation for the school’s support and cooperation in the various environment-friendly initiatives being taken by Mellieha local council. The book token was co-sponsored by Agenda Bookshop.