New measures to improve waste management in Sliema

The Sliema local council has introduced a new garbage collection system, as well as other measures aimed at improving waste management in the locality, making it a more pleasant place for residents and visitors.

Addressing a news conference at the local council premises yesterday, Sliema mayor Anthony Chircop appealed for residents to cooperate with the local council in a bid to address the shortcomings in the area of waste management.

“Our campaign to make Sliema a cleaner place and to keep it tidy has to be an ongoing one, particularly because there are a number of people who only live here for short periods of time.”

With the help of Green MT, which collects recyclable waste, the local council will be reaching out to residents to ensure that they are well informed about the garbage collection system.

Councillor Paul Radmilli explained that under the new garbage collection system, which is applicable from 1 November, garbage collection trucks will do the rounds in the evening, between 7pm and 10.30pm, when more people are likely to be at home and when the streets are less busy than they are in the morning. This is being done to ensure that black garbage bags are out on the streets for the shortest time possible. Black garbage bags will also be collected on Sundays during the summer months. On Saturdays, garbage collection starts at midday, and the system for the collection of grey bags (for recyclable material) remains unchanged – every Tuesday and Friday from 10am.

Under the current system, garbage is collected between 8am and midday, and people who leave home in the morning (for work or other reasons) take out their garbage late at night or early in the morning. Apart from being an eyesore, garbage bags that are left out on the streets for a long time can be problematic when it rains heavily, and cats sometimes also tear up garbage bags in search of scraps of food.

Mr Radmilli said: “At the moment, garbage bags are collected when traffic is at its worst, particularly due to the numerous shops, hotels, restaurants and schools in the locality. In the morning, the streets are also busy because of work at a number of construction sites. The operator estimates that under the new system, the collection process will take an hour less than it does at the moment.”

Mr Radmilli said that while the council will be insisting on the need to fine offenders, it will also be working hard on its education and information campaign.

The local council has also identified the worst cases of large blocks of apartments that have no swill room or some other space for garbage bags. Mr Radmilli said the council has met with the owners of these apartments. The plan is to set up skips in garage areas and these will then be emptied on site by the garbage collection operator.

Another small change, noted Mr Radmilli, is that street bins will be emptied by the operator on a daily basis, instead of by the street cleaners (these do not clean every street in Sliema every day).

The local council consulted with other localities to seek the best options for garbage collection, and it plans to evaluate the system every six months.

Councillor Kris Busietta also spoke about the new street sweeping system, saying that a new contract will be signed and this will specify the number of times different streets will have to be cleaned.

Moreover, the local council will be increasing the number of bins for general waste, introducing bins for recyclable waste, and replacing bins without a lid.

“Unfortunately, we’ve had occasions whereby bins were used for the disposal of both black and grey garbage bags. This creates a problem, with the bins filling up in no time at all, so we will be replacing them with new bins with fixed lids,” said Dr Busietta, adding that on the initiative of councillor John Pillow, the local council will also be replacing the bins in Ġnien l-Indipendenza.