Over six million tonnes of construction waste is ‘stored’ in quarries

Finding a solution for the disposal of millions of tonnes of inert construction waste is a substantial achievement. This is now being done by ‘storing’ this inert excavation material in unused quarries. The following is the story divided in two: the original problem and the answer that was found.

The problem

One of the most pressing objectives for WasteServ Malta Ltd. when it came into force, was the closure of the Maghtab and Qortin landfills, which had to cease operating by EU accession date (1 May 2004).

The average weight of mixed waste received annually at the old Maghtab Dump was about 1.6 million tonnes. The majority of this waste, 80 per cent in terms of weight, was inert waste generated from rock excavations, resulting from construction and demolition. This generated an enormous amount of traffic, around 500 truck loads every day, resulting in peak gate processing of one every minute. Thus, while it was very clear that any strategy for the closure of these dumps had to include a compliant waste disposal management alternative for all waste fractions, the most pressing being that of inert material.

Finally, by July 2003 clean inert waste was no longer accepted for disposal at the Maghtab and Qortin uncontrolled landfills. This was a major step, and was made possible through the awarding of a five-year contract for the filling in of disused quarries around the island with uncontaminated inert material.

The solution

Fast forward to December 2007: over six million tonnes of construction waste has been disposed of, in around 19 quarries across the island, in which this dumping was permitted. The Maghtab dump site has not been accepting inert waste since July 2003, and instead it is being used for the rehabilitation of quarries with clean construction waste, which in actual fact is not really waste, but clean inert mineral, which locally is still considered waste because we have too much of it.

This measure – to dispose of this uncontaminated construction material in unused quarries – has proved to be pro-environmental in many ways. By filling these quarries with similar material to that originally extracted, for example, one is lowering the risk of contamination of the water table through other uses, since many of these quarries have their lower levels very close to the water table.

Apart from this, these quarries have been an eyesore for years, and they are finally being rehabilitated as fields for agricultural use.

There are three quarries currently in use by contractors which are registered with WasteServ, and these are located at Lapsi, Dingli and Qrendi. Other quarries are also being operated by the private sector. Individuals who wish to dispose of clean construction material at the quarries are requested to phone on WasteServ Freephone number 8007 2200.

More information about WasteServ can be obtained by visiting website www. wasteservmalta.com or by calling the WasteServ Freephone 8007 2200.

Article provided by WasteServ