There are still many misconceptions about the way recycling is carried out in Malta and what the actual process involves. MICHAEL CARABOTT followed a recycling contractor on his rounds before entering the Sant’ Antnin recycling plant in Marsascala to get a clearer picture.

Many Maltese people still, for some reason or another, believe that although we now have waste separation bring-in sites, the waste is remixed as soon as it is collected. This, after seeing the whole process with my own eyes, is a load of codswallop.

The first meeting held was with WasteServ officials Daniela Vella and Daniela Grech. When I asked what the main misconceptions about recycling were – they were emphatic in their answer. Ms Vella and Ms Grech said: “The biggest problem is that people believe that waste is not kept separate and is not recycled.”

Once all the new bring-in sites are put into place, there will be some 400 dotted around Malta and Gozo. In addition, there are some 200 schools which are integrated into the waste management plan where waste is separated.

Ms Vella explained that WasteServ has two contractors who do their rounds every morning, and as I later saw, they only collect one material per day. This is then taken to Sant’ Antnin where it is further sorted by hand before going through the recycling process.

However, WasteServ needs the plant to be upgraded, they said. “We need a Material Recovery Facility (MRF), which is essentially a large conveyor belt onto which recyclable material is dumped for sorting.” They explained that it would still involve hand sorting, but that it would be much less time-consuming and much more efficient.

Which brought them to another point. “We need a culture change. Some people think that bring-in sites are simply there so they can be used as a dump. We have found chandeliers, tiles, glass panes and even animal carcasses left at the sites and this is wrong.” They also pointed out that people need to make sure they clean (within reason) tins, bottles and cans before disposing of them at the bring-in sites. WasteServ also pointed out that some separation bins are administered by, for example the Malta International Airport and the Malta Tourism Authority. “We do not have anything to do with them, but we have repeatedly stated that we are ready to offer advice and expertise should entities want it.”

So what can be disposed of and where?

Paper (white bins)

Paper is sorted out and white paper is separated from coloured and glossy types. This sorting is done because different types of materials are used for different purposes and are sent to different companies for recycling. Further sorting is also required to ensure there is no contamination of materials. Glossy paper, newspaper, white paper and cardboard are being exported for recycling. Paper which cannot be recycled is used for composting and some of the corrugated cardboard is being shredded for animal bedding.

What’s allowed: writing paper, office paper, printed paper, photocopies, newspapers, magazines, catalogues, directories, newspapers, magazines, brochures, leaflets, frozen food boxes, cardboard boxes (flattened or folded), cereal and pasta boxes, notebooks, copybooks and wrapping paper.

What’s not allowed: tissues, serviettes, wet wipes, nappies, cellophane, adhesive tape, labels and stickers, waxed paper (milk and juice cartons), used paper cups and plates.

Plastic (blue bins)

After being collected separately from the bring-in sites, the plastic that is fit for recycling is sorted at the waste treatment facility. It is then sent to different companies that process, shred and bale such materials and export them to be used as secondary raw materials in the plastic production industry. Synthetic carpets, plastic chairs, containers, garden furniture and stationery are among the objects that can be made out of recycled plastic.

What’s allowed: clean containers for gels, shampoos, liquid soaps, detergents, cosmetics and cleaning agents, cups and tubs of consumable foods (only if emptied and cleaned), clean plastic cups, plastic caps, lids and covers.

What’s not allowed: wrappers and containers contaminated with food, bottles with contents left in them, used cling film, bulky plastic items, lighters.

Glass (brown bins)

New glass containers can be produced from waste glass without any loss of quality. Local glass has also been used on tiles and in concrete mixture, replacing some of our natural minerals excavated for this use. The use of glass saves resources and cuts the energy required in production of glass by about 50 per cent.

What’s allowed: preserving jars, containers, water, wine, spirit glass bottles.

What’s not allowed: china, corks, lamps and light bulbs, mirrors, window panes, drinking glasses, ceramics, lenses, thermometers

Metal (black bins)

Aluminium cans and tin can collected from bring-in sites are exported by Maltese companies for recycling. Aluminium cans are baled while other metal items are melted and shaped into ingots. These are then further exported to other European countries.

What’s allowed: aluminium cans, tin cans (clean), metal caps and lids, empty spray cans.

What’s not allowed: bulky metal waste, batteries, soiled food, food cans that are not empty, paint and oil cans that are not completely empty.

Another issue for WasteServ is vandalism. Some of the bring-in sites have been set alight on more than one occasion. Some are under closed-circuit television surveillance, but this is expensive to install. WasteServ is hoping for the introduction of warden patrols to lessen the amount of vandalism.

Civic amenity sites

Civic amenity sites or centres for bulky waste are controlled facilities where members of the public can bring and discard a variety of waste items separately. Civic amenity sites cater for bulky waste such as tyres, refrigerators, electronic products, waste from DIY activities and garden waste. At these sites, there are also bring-in sites for the deposit of separated waste. No food waste can be disposed of at these sites.

The aim of civic amenity sites is to establish a service to centralise the collection of certain types of waste separately and therefore facilitate the recovery of secondary materials for recycling.

What’s allowed: furniture, mattresses, carpets, tiles, appliances, garden waste, oils (cooking and engine), batteries, solvents, neon tubes, medicines, chemicals, paints and varnishes, colourings, disinfectants, hair dye, nail polish and remover, fertiliser, pesticides and insecticides, turpentine, mercury thermometers, adhesives, fridges, cookers, freezers, microwaves, computers, monitors, phones and mobiles, printers, toys, clocks, electronic tools, watches, construction waste generated from DIY, clothes and textiles and tyres.

The collection rounds

I met Wayne in Naxxar where he was doing his rounds. He confirmed what WasteServ had said. His biggest problem is that sometimes people use bring-in sites as dumping areas. He also said: “I make sure that I set off on my rounds at 4am every morning. If I leave it any later, people might find that the bins are full and leave stuff lying around near them.”

I soon understood what he meant as I watched the glass bin being emptied into the back of his truck.

It is all done by crane, the bin is lifted up by an on-board lifting arm and this is then emptied mechanically as a hook is pulled, triggering the bottom of the bins to open and empty into the truck.

Anything that is left outside the bins has to be picked up by hand. “At least if I get here really early, people will not have come to dispose of anything that morning and I will only be collecting what has been disposed of the day before.

“If I leave it, say till 7am, the bins fill up and people tend to put things on the ground near them,” he explained.

After collecting all the bins, Wayne takes them to the Sant’ Antnin plant. On this day in question, it was glass he was collecting.

Once at Sant’ Antnin, the truck is weighed so as to keep statistics on returns.

Once inside the plant, the truck headed down to the glass disposal area. There are also areas for car parts, wood and furniture, paper and metal.

One really has to see the amount of glass at the plant to believe the amounts, they are truly baffling.

This, of course, bearing in mind that not everyone recycles materials.

While the plant certainly works, the methods employed at present are quite primitive, with workers using small bulldozers to move materials for hand sorting.

This, WasteServ said, is why the plant needs to be upgraded sooner rather than later as the initiatives that can be undertaken as things stand are limited.

Fact: 400,000 tons of waste are generated by Maltese households every year, enough to fill a football ground three times over.

Fact: Every year waste generated at home increases by three per cent, by 2025, the amount of municipal waste will double.

Fact: One tonne of paper = 17 trees. About six trees a year are cut down to produce enough paper for one family.

Fact: We produce and use 20 times more plastic than we did 50 years ago.

Fact: Glass can be recycled a million times over without losing its quality, while car parts can be made from recycled aluminium.

Fact: In Malta we discard about 20,000 tyres and 5,000 mattresses every month and each family generates one tonne of waste per year.