Revolutionising Malta’s waste management

Malta is on its way to reducing the islands’ dependence on landfills as WasteServ announces the opening of new recycling facility in Ħal Far.

WasteServ has taken another step towards reducing the country’s dependence on landfills moving toward a circular economy with the opening of a new facility in Ħal Far – the Multi-Material Recovery Facility (MMRF).

In a significant move towards a more sustainable future, one of the primary objectives of this facility is to divert waste away from landfills, effectively contributing to national recycling targets. With the facility now operational, waste streams that were previously consigned to landfills can be accepted, processed and placed back on the recycling market.

WasteServ, the driving force behind this innovative project invested €20 million of which €13.3 million were derived from European funds. The facility can receive over 15,500 tonnes of waste per year specifically designed to handle diverse waste streams, including wood, mattresses, polystyrene, tyres, and textiles. WasteServ will perform limited pre-treatment on select materials, thereby facilitating their reintroduction into the circular economy. Furthermore, the MMRF serves as a storage hub for

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) collected from WasteServ’s Civic Amenity Sites. By being located in close proximity to the Malta Freeport, the facility also reduces the carbon footprint associated with exporting these materials ensuring a more sustainable approach.

This investment is part of a broader commitment by WasteServ to revolutionise waste management practices in Malta. In March 2023, WasteServ launched a new material recovery facility that utilises automated systems to separate metals, cardboard, and plastics, ensuring their return to the market as part of a circular economy. This facility has a capacity of processing 40,000 tonnes of recyclable waste annually. Additionally, WasteServ is currently developing an automated glass sorting line with a capacity to process around 10 tonnes of glass per hour equivalent to 52,500 glass bottles every hour. It will also have the ability to sort flat glass offcuts coming from the commercial sector. Both these projects are being co-financed through the European Cohesion Fund.

WasteServ’s ambitious plans do not stop there. It is also implementing the ECOHIVE project, a massive half a billion investment that encompasses the construction of five new waste management plants. These include a Waste-to-Energy facility, an Organic Processing Plant, a Material Recovery Facility, a Thermal Treatment Facility, and a new skip management facility designed to receive bulky waste from open-topped skips. Furthermore, the procurement process for the design, construction, and operation of a Waste-to-Energy Plant, dedicated to treating non-recyclable waste, is now in its final stages.

To complement these endeavours, WasteServ launched four Reuse Centres within the Civic Amenity Sites of Ħal Far, Luqa, Imrieħel, and Tal-Kus (in Gozo) last year. These centres have proven instrumental in extending the lifespan of various used items, preventing them from entering the waste system and ultimately the landfill. Over 10,000 items have been reintegrated into the economy through this initiative, representing an important reduction in waste ending up in landfill.

The infrastructural upgrades being made signify a transformative step forward in waste management practices. By processing and reusing waste streams that were previously discarded, WasteServ is not only safeguarding the environment for future generations but also unlocking the full potential of materials, thus contributing to the circular economy. As Malta breaks away from past practices, it is becoming evident that with investment and the collaborative efforts of both residents and businesses, we are paving the way to a cleaner and greener future. •