Zminijietna: recycling system has failed

"European Commission criticism of Malta with regards to waste
management confirms that the present recycling system is failing. If
no real action is taken the end result will be the building of more
incinerators across the country".

"The current system applied by the private sector to collect waste
generated through packaging is a positive measure. But it remains a
fact that big part of the problem for the amount of waste generated is
linked to the commercial sector, which is the biggest leading producer
of waste", said Żminijietna.

“The present system is unsustainable, as millions of plastic, tin and
glass containers are placed on the market, and a substantial part of
these is not collected by the same business sector. The Government
should directly regulate this sector", said Żminijietna.

"On the other hand, the incentives schemes to encourage consumers to
dispose of waste in a sustainable manner are weak. Żminijietna appeals to the Authorities to seriously implement a national plan to introduce
incentives to reward change”.

“The Authorities must consider schemes applied in other countries,
such as where beverage aluminum cans (52 billion are produced per
year in Europe) are collected in specific vending machines, where the
consumers are compensated for the amount of cans deposited. Aluminum
is one of the easiest materials to recycle profitably. We insist that
this scheme should be the responsibility of the commercial sector",
said Żminijietna.

"The Authorities together with the local councils should re-introduce
the scheme that provides families with free recycling bags. Incentives
should also be applied to promote more the system of 'refill', when
selling liquid soaps, laundry, and detergent etc. These are all
measures that can be introduced and operated easily", concluded
Żminijietna.