First comparable statistics show positive trend

The government’s new recycling regulations seem to be having an effect, with more Maltese becoming accustomed to separating waste and adhering to regulations.

This is not to say that everything is perfect, as there are still some difficulties that need to be tackled. The distribution of garbage containers, for example, has been far from perfect, leading to long queues reminiscent of darker times. This issue has not yet been completely resolved, and should have been handled better right from the start.

Bags taken out on the wrong day are also a common occurrence, and there have been times when garbage taken out on the right day was not collected. The new waste separation measures are still in their infancy, however, and one does expect some teething problems at the beginning of this large-scale national overhaul.

But the idea of separating waste and recycling even more products is not only positive in terms of reaching Malta’s 2020 targets, but is all-round better for our environment. Leading by example will allow future generations to automatically recycle without a second thought and will help in terms of the world’s natural resources.

Figures are looking positive. The Malta Independent yesterday reported that 9,594 tonnes of black bags were collected between 1 and 25 November 2017, while the comparable period this year saw the collection of 6,903 tonnes. That means 28 per cent fewer black bags were collected.

This shows a significant drop in mixed waste, meaning more material has been recycled.

In terms of the green/grey recycling bags, a 573-tonne increase was recorded between the aforementioned periods, and in terms of the organic bag, during the November 2017 period, 204 tonnes were collected. This was due to the pilot project already being in operation at that stage. During the same period in 2018, when the full organic bag collection scheme was in operation across the Maltese Islands, 1,706 tonnes of organic waste bags were collected.

This means that less waste is being landfilled, and given Malta’s serious waste problem, and lack of space, recycling is definitely a necessity. In order to really solve the problem, however, more needs to be done, and government is working on a waste-to-energy plant.

Recycling, nevertheless, is not the only way to deal with waste. Indeed, the Environment and Resource Authority’s 2018 State of the Environment report reads that waste prevention is the highest stage of the waste hierarchy and is, therefore, the most environmentally friendly option, as the absence of waste implies that no resources have been consumed and no material needs to be managed.

Reducing waste means fewer resources being used up. Reducing waste is by far the best way to deal with the situation. Companies need to start working on cutting down on excess packaging, for example.

By doing so, we will not only guarantee resources for future generations, but also better protect the environment. One way to reduce plastic waste would be to swap disposable water bottles for re-usable ones. This would require a major shift in mentality as well as a major shift in how water is provided to the public. Water filling stations would need to be placed in many locations, and the government would need to improve the quality and taste of Malta’s tap water. As such, this idea would be hard to implement on a wide scale.

The soon-to-be-implemented bottle refund scheme is another way to deal with plastic bottle waste, and one hopes it will be a success and show results.