Not much thought behind proposals

Recent proposals appear to support a long-term waste management plan issued by the environment ministry in 2020 and according to which waste bags should be standardised. Black rubbish bags are to be substituted by transparent ones that will enable swifter enforcement action for those monitoring waste separation.

This obligation to separate waste will apply to everyone, including households, businesses and government buildings, regardless of whether waste is generated at home, at work or in public places.

Failure to separate household waste will initially result in a warning and reprimand and then liable to a €25 fine on the second infringement, followed by €50 fines for each subsequent contravention. Businesses will be liable to a maximum fine of €150 from the third contravention.

While we should all endorse and engage in recycling, the key issue is how this policy will be practically implemented and it is clear that this has not been thought through. The key words are ‘household’ and ‘fines’ for infringement. The question really is how this policy can be enforced when identification of refuse bags is largely impossible, to say the least.

In Malta, recent statistics indicate that, in 2019, 58.7 per cent (53.8 per cent in 2018) of all inhabited dwellings in Malta and Gozo were either flats or maisonettes while 36.8 per cent (41.5 per cent in 2018) were semi-detached or terraced houses and 0.1 per cent were listed under the ‘other’ category.

According to National Statistics Office statistics (2020), home ownership was the most common type of tenure status in 2019, with 76.9 per cent of all households owning their main dwelling.

However, one in every seven people in Malta lives in rented accommodation, according to research.

Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

Thus, the issue of identification will become an even greater problem as there is a clear move away from houses to flats and maisonettes. Someone in every seven people in Malta lives in rented accommodation, which includes holiday or short-term lets. During the main holiday months, this will become more acute, especially in the northern part of the island, home to the most rental agreements, accounting for around 70 per cent located in St Paul’s Bay, Sliema, Msida, Gżira and St Julian’s.

So what plans have the bright minds in government identified as solutions to this problem for, without identification, how can there be enforcement? How will the distribution of a number of free bags to households help?

As a flat owner and administrator for 16 flats with a clearly marked disposable bag area by colour in the garage, I cannot identify who has put bags there let alone what is in most.

In Graham Street, Sliema, every property is a block of four to 16 flats and daily bags are put out by residents, those on Airbnb, holiday or rental contracts. Different coloured bags appear on the wrong days, often in the morning and clearly mixed with different waste. Often, boxes are left outside with unbagged waste in them. How will the authorities identify the owner of this waste?

The secondary but as important issue is that those who put out bags largely ignore the rules so hindering old age pensioners, wheelchair users and children in prams and buggies. Some two years ago, the Sliema council used wardens to check on bags being put out early in the day, even sitting in cars at night/early morning hours watching out for those who put out bags early and the colour of each. Will wardens now be asked to check what’s in each bag?

Clearly, this legal notice is another proposal without much consideration given to its logistical implementation.

Louis Naudi – Sliema