The need for sustainability and environmental public awareness is increasing, nonetheless Malta remains one of the laggards with respect to effective waste management.
It is undoubtedly welcoming to note the prime minister’s statement, shortly after his electoral victory, that the environment is one of the government’s top priorities. It is also worth noting that, in 2017, when Malta held the presidency of the Council of the EU, the circular economy was declared as a political priority of the presidency.
It is now high time to convert good intent into tangible results. There have been various plans, strategies, visions, consultation documents and reports on waste management over the years but the reality is that not much was achieved.
We need to take waste reduction more seriously and bring about change. Malta’s heavy reliance on waste disposal is not in line with EU targets and is an unnecessary pressure on our limited land along with the surrounding environment.
We need to speed up implementing the EU waste management requirements to place us in line with the waste hierarchy. Our recycling rate is too low, far below the EU average and the landfill rate remains too high – over three times the EU average.
Despite lingering EU recycling target dates, the change to a more circular economy remains a challenge in Malta.
Take the EU directive on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment, which includes two specific targets, namely, a 77 per cent separate collection target for single-use plastic beverage bottles by 2025 – increasing to 90 per cent by 2029; and that of incorporating 25 per cent of recycled plastic in PET beverage bottles from 2025 and 30 per cent in all plastic beverage bottles from 2030.
Yes, we have recently banned the importation of single-use plastic for packaging and this is certainly a step in the right direction. However, we remain miles away from reaching our EU mandatory targets.
Urgent reforms and enforcement actions are needed, notably for the functioning of the extended producer responsibility systems and on waste collection separation, particularly in relation to commercial operators, to ensure more effective waste management provisions by the sector.
There are a good number of genuine businesses that are ready to voluntarily contribute towards the promotion of a circular economy, without any guised agendas, even if there will always be an element that will look at any circular economy initiatives with guarded suspicion, if not outright objection.
We need to take waste reduction more seriously- Norman Aquilina
Back in 2017, the government announced that a Circular Economy Act was being drafted. This Act has not yet seen the light of day and given that since then we have had three different environment ministers, it would be most welcome for the government to clarify its intentions.
Having a Circular Economy Act in place will undoubtedly depict a clearer and more structured legal framework, thereby contributing towards a holistic approach, as opposed to a prevailing fragmented one, in which all stakeholders can work in a more coordinated manner to ensure the functioning of a circular economy.
In September 2018, the European Commission published a report on how EU waste rules are applied in Europe, presenting the challenges and way forward.
This report, referred to as an ‘early warning’ report in anticipation of EU 2020 recycling targets, cited “the lack of coordination between different administrative levels” as one of the reasons “progress was hampered” in Malta. The report consequently placed us at the bottom of the EU league for recycling.
Given Malta has come nowhere near the EU’s 50 per cent waste-recycling 2020 target, it seems that this target has been pushed forward, with Malta now needing to reach this mandatory target by 2025, going up to 60 per cent by 2030.
The government, in seeking to convey its eagerness to climb up the table from being the lowest EU ranking, enthusiastically announced last year’s ‘record-breaking’ performance with respect to recycled plastic packaging waste. Nonetheless, Malta remains at a distance from the EU set benchmark.
This announcement followed 2019 data from Eurostat showing that an estimated 41.5 per cent of plastic packaging is recycled by EU member states. The target of 22.5 per cent recycled plastic packaging waste was met by all member states that year except Malta (11.1 per cent based on 2018 data).
To take Malta out of its regular rock-bottom position on EU scoresheets, we need to recognise that addressing the question of waste management is a national issue and requires a collective effort from all stakeholders.
Effective waste reduction and management measures which promote a properly functioning circular economy can drive the optimisation of resources, reduce the consumption of raw materials and recover waste by recycling it.
This may sometimes be conceived as being inconvenient but, ultimately, it is a resilient system that is good for business, people and the environment in the long term.
Norman Aquilina, Group CEO, Farsons