A golden opportunity to rethink the waste-management strategy

The news that the waste-to-energy plant (incinerator) tender by Wasteserv collapsed last month presents Malta with a golden opportunity to rethink our waste-management strategy. It presents us with an opportunity to avoid a massive threat to public health posed by the adoption of waste incineration.

The decision by Wasteserv to go for incineration and the resulting tender was produced 10 years ago. A lot has happened during the last 10 years. Many studies have found that incineration is not the way forward. Simultaneously there has been a huge shift away from incineration towards the reduce, reuse and recycle strategy by both governments and consumers in general. I appeal to the minister responsible to avoid reissuing the tender as it was before.

Waste incineration was presented 10 years ago as a modern solution to Malta’s waste crisis; yet, closer examination today shows it is poorly suited to our environmental, economic and spatial realities. For a small, densely populated island with limited land and an already heavy pollution burden, incineration risks creating long-term problems rather than solving existing ones.

Malta’s size is the first major constraint. Incinerators require a constant and high volume of waste to operate efficiently. Malta’s waste generation is relatively small, which creates a structural risk of overcapacity. When this happens, governments are pressured either to import waste or to burn materials that could otherwise be recycled or composted. Both outcomes undermine national waste-reduction goals and contradict the principles of sustainable waste management.

Environmental and health concerns are equally significant. Even with modern filtration systems, incinerators emit air pollutants such as fine particulates, nitrogen oxides and trace toxic compounds. In a country where residential areas are close to industrial sites, there is little room for safe buffer zones.

The process also produces toxic ash, which still requires disposal in landfills or export, meaning incineration does not eliminate the waste problem but merely transforms it.

The economic case is weak. Incinerators involve very high upfront construction costs (€600 million of taxpayers money) and decades-long operational contracts. These long-term financial commitments lock public funds into a single technology, reducing flexibility and placing financial risk on taxpayers if waste volumes fall. Money spent on incineration is money not invested in waste prevention, recycling infrastructure, composting, or repair-and-reuse initiatives, all of which deliver better long-term returns.

Incineration also conflicts with climate and circular economy objectives. Burning mixed waste releases carbon dioxide, much of it from plastics derived from fossil fuels. While energy can be recovered, the net climate benefit is limited compared to investments in renewable energy or material recovery.

Crucially, once an incinerator exists, it creates a demand for waste, discouraging policies that aim to reduce consumption and extend product lifecycles.

For Malta, the more resilient path lies in aggressive waste reduction, extended producer responsibility, improved separation at source, composting of organic waste and high-quality recycling. These approaches align with EU waste hierarchy principles, reduce environmental risk and avoid locking the country into costly and inflexible infrastructure.

Waste incineration in Malta represents a high-cost, high-risk solution that diverts attention from more sustainable and locally appropriate strategies. Rather than burning waste, Malta’s long-term interest is better served by preventing it in the first place.

With such a reduction in the use of the black bag, do we need waste incineration?

Malta can adopt a more sustainable and locally appropriate strategy through a combination of policy, education, infrastructure and enforcement. I am no environmental expert but some quick research presents interesting suggestions that merit serious consideration:

Better waste separation at source: Encourage households and businesses to sort waste properly with clearer guidance and more convenient bins/bags.

Public education campaigns: Raise awareness on why recycling matters and how to do it correctly (for example, what goes in which bag).

Financial incentives: Use more deposit return schemes (like BCRS for plastic bottles), tax benefits for recycling companies or fines for non-compliance.

Improved collection and sorting systems: Invest in modern waste-sorting facilities at Magħtab. Introduce door-to-door sorting audits and feedback to residents. Use smart bins with sensors to monitor waste levels and improve logistics.

Stricter enforcement: Ensure regulations are followed by households and businesses through inspections and penalties. Increase inspections and fines for incorrect disposal or illegal dumping. Track performance by locality and publish recycling league tables to create positive competition.

Support for circular economy businesses: Encourage and incentivise local businesses to use recycled materials and reduce packaging waste.

School and community programmes: Build recycling habits from a young age and engage communities in sustainability projects.

Monitoring and transparency: Publish data on recycling rates and progress regularly to build trust and accountability.

Enhance public participation: Run local campaigns in every locality focused on proper sorting. Provide multilingual guidance (including visuals) to reach all residents and workers, especially in high-rental or tourist areas. Ask local and foreign NGOs such as Friends of the Earth to participate in the introduction of new initiatives.

This week, Wasteserv announced that our mixed waste (the black bag) has been reduced by almost a third since 2021. Environment Minister Miriam Dalli described 2025 as a particularly encouraging year for the authorities’ waste collection efforts, in which “clear progress” was registered. That is excellent news. It shows that with proper education and policies, the Maltese public will respond positively.

I assume the minister is determined to build on this progress and reduce our mixed waste even further. With such a considerable reduction, I ask the question: Do we need waste incineration?

Wasteserv has announced that more “information” regarding the new tender will be disclosed over the coming weeks. I appeal to the minister to ensure that this new “information” will include the elimination of waste incineration as part of our waste-management strategy.

Denis Zammit Cutajar is a former company CEO and chairperson of Inspire.