WasteServ has appealed to people to separate their waste in a more effective manner, although they noted that while landfilling remains high, 2021 was a productive year for recyclables.
Although the landfilling figures are an improvement over prior ones, even surpassing the 90% rate, they are testament of the extensive shift the country needs to make in its waste management, currently being tackled with the new ECOHIVE project and the Long-term Waste Management Plan, WasteServ said.
“When it comes to recyclables, the year 2021 is the best ever since WasteServ’s inception in 2009 with a record-breaking total figure consisting of a threefold increase in plastic recycling, and other substantial increases in other areas including metal and cardboard,” the agency said.
Having said this, WasteServ said that further drastic improvements are required to move towards their forecasted targets.
“Firstly, the quality of the grey/green bag material needs to improve significantly as around half of the material delivered are not recyclables. Such rejects even include hazardous items, such as clinical waste, flammable material and other general waste. Secondly, the quantity of recyclables needs to at least double,” it said.
Therefore, the Maltese public and the industry need to significantly reduce the mixed waste generated and increase drastically separation at source. In this regard, WasteServ welcomes the Government’s efforts on a new Long-term Waste Management Plan that includes the required policies based on the reduce, reuse, recycle concept to stimulate this change. These policies will be crucial for the half billion investment that is planned at ECOHIVE to reach the full potential, WasteServ said.
In relation to the waste-to-energy project, it is important to highlight that the competitive dialogue procedure is by nature an extensive one and involves the Preliminary Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ), Invitation To Participate to Dialogue (ITPD) and Best Available Final Offer stages (BAFO). The laborious nature of the Competitive Dialogue Procedure includes the required safeguards to secure the best possible deal for Malta in a fair and transparent manner, the agency noted.
The procurement has now reached the final stage (BAFO) with the process expected to be concluded in the first months of next year.
“Not only is Malta working on various fronts to move away from historic reliance on landfills, but it is also correcting the mistakes of the past by returning back to nature massive landfill sites. These include the recently inaugurated Wied Fulija project with 43,000 trees and shrubs and the Qortin landfill in Gozo which will be opened to the public in the coming weeks,” the agency said.
In conclusion, WasteServ noted that although the current year goes down as the best ever in its history, it is fundamental for everyone to continue to understand the need for further drastic improvements which can only materialise through joint efforts between all the stakeholders involved especially the general public and the commercial community. We are leaving no stone unturned.