Environment Minister Aaron Farrugia said he “expects better” from people following the statement by WasteServ about dead animals that are being dumped in grey recycling bags. 

“On one side you have cardboard, beer cans and plastic bottles, and on the other a dead rabbit.”

In a post on Facebook, Wasteserv shared a graphic photo of a dead rabbit on Monday and said that the dumping of dead animals is happening on a daily basis.

Minister Farrugia expressed his concern towards the workers who have to face these gruesome scenes on an almost daily basis.

He added that this goes to show that, unfortunately, within our society, we still have sections that show complete disregard to others and to basic public health and environmental standards.

“Our challenge is to help these people change, both through educational campaigns and enforcement, which necessitates a more modern and swift policy framework,” he said.

Asked whether the Ministry believes that more awareness is needed on how to deal with dead animals since some people are opting to dump them in grey recycling bags, Farrugia said that raising awareness is always productive and the Ministry, in conjunction with Wasteserv, will continue to engage in informative campaigns.

In addition, “the Ministry has been working relentlessly on a new waste management plan through which we plan to make a leap forward across the board.”

Farrugia explained that this plan will not only focus on having the required infrastructure on the ground but also tools to encourage greater participation in waste separation efforts, and, if required, enforcement.

Despite this, he added that it is very hard to believe that this situation is an issue primarily of awareness.

A spokesperson for Wasteserv said that such a situation can be very much avoided if the public cooperates.

“We have many workers who spend hours sorting recyclable materials, day and night, therefore the least the public can do is ensure that the right materials are put in the right bags,” Borg said.

“It is a very unpleasant situation to face for the workers and they should not have to go through it, therefore, the cooperation of the public is very important.”

She explained that although some might not opt for this option, especially those who love their pets very dearly, WasteServ has its own incinerator in Marsa and people can go take their dead animals with no additional cost.