Towards a circular economy: Agricultural waste to be turned into compost for farmers

Agricultural waste, such as vegetable and fruit scraps and tree trimmings, will be processed by WasteServ and turned into quality compost to be used by farmers.

Minister for the Environment, Energy and Enterprise Miriam Dalli and Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights Anton Refalo announced this during a visit to the Civic Amenity Site in Ta’ Qali, where WasteServ CEO Richard Bilocca and Malta Food Agency CEO Brian Vella accompanied them.

The composter will process agricultural waste coming from farmers and Pitkalija. This equipment, with a capacity of 15 tonnes, will produce around 8 tonnes of compost per cycle, with each cycle taking about two weeks. Therefore, in a circular economy model, such waste is seen as a resource that will be returned to farmers as quality compost. This follows an agreement between WasteServ and the Malta Food Agency, whereby the latter will distribute this compost to farmers free of charge from Pitkalija.

“Today, we are seeing in a tangible way how circular economy can be applied to different sectors, in this case for agricultural use. This is the kind of sustainable work we want to continue promoting so that our country implements the principles of circular economy, reduces waste, and recognises the value of waste,” stated Minister Miriam Dalli.

She recalled that WasteServ is also investing in a new facility that will turn organic waste into energy. This will be done by processing around 70,000 tonnes of organic waste, which will be turned into compost and energy.

Minister Anton Refalo stated that this agreement is crucial for the maintenance of crops and the cultivation of vegetables and fruits. This can be possible through a process that sees that the compost is distributed to our farmers, eventually leading to quality food for Maltese and Gozitan families.

“Today, we are again witnessing the government keeping its word with Maltese and Gozitan farmers, supporting their work, and at the same time bearing the fruits of the work of the Malta Food Agency, which is responsible for the holistic process of local produce, from production until it reaches consumers,” Minister Refalo explained.