'Satisfactory' first day of separated waste collection

Over 25 tonnes of packaging waste was collected from 34 localities in Malta on the first day of the separated waste collection scheme on Tuesday, the Resources Ministry said today.

“Considering all the difficulties the collection system had over the past few weeks this is a very satisfactory amount. More importantly the packing waste that was collected from households was well sorted and clean from organic waste,” the ministry said in a statement.

The biggest amount of recyclable material was collected from Mellieha with a total of 4,340 Kgs closely followed by Attard with 3,780 Kgs. Other localities where over 1,000 kgs were collected included Qormi, Swieqi Tarxien and Sliema.

Reacting to questions and complaints about recyclable packaging waste having been mixed with organic waste, Christopher Ciantar, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Resources and Rural Affairs said the metal, paper and plastic received at the St Antnin plant was well sorted out by the households and there were negligible traces of contamination.

“Throughout the day we have had people on the road monitoring the collections and we have had no reports of any contamination.”