There has been a mixed bag of reactions to the change in garbage collection frequencies announced for next year.
Starting from January 2, black bags – which contain a wide variety of items ranging from dirty food wrappers and cigarette butts to animal litter and sanitary products – will be collected twice instead of three times a week.
The green or grey bags, containing items for recycling, will be collected once instead of twice a week. However, collection of the white bag used for organic waste will remain three times a week and glass will be collected twice a month instead of just once.
The reduced frequency of black-bag collection has raised some concerns.
Gżira mayor Conrad Borg Manché said he did not see any issue with the reduced collection of grey bags due to the implementation of BCRS, the bottle recycling scheme.
The more infrequent collection of black bags would likely have more of an impact on residents, he said.
“This is especially true for those with young children needing to dispose of products such as nappies, for example,” he said.
Sliema resident Ian Schranz said the changes would probably mean his family having to keep more rubbish in their apartment.
He said this particularly impacted those with young children, both due to the added waste generated by family households as well as the “nightmare” of trying to use a pram in Malta’s streets on waste-collection days.
In June, then St Julian’s mayor Albert Buttigieg highlighted the trash problem in touristic areas, blaming the issue on lack of enforcement and insufficient resources.
Echoing concerns voiced by Buttigieg, independent Żebbuġ councillor Steve Zammit Lupi emphasised that the difficulty is enforcement on those who take out bags on the wrong days, though he stressed the importance for all to cooperate responsibly.
“I hope we have enough time to ensure this change happens in an organised manner due to it being announced only two weeks in advance,” he added.
Some of the measures included in the changes have been welcomed.
“It’s great that the updated schedule is the same for all localities… This way, people who rent or have summer residences do not need to readjust habits each time they move," said Marie Briguglio, a senior lecturer at the University of Malta and expert on the economics of domestic waste behaviour.
“It’s also very good that organic waste is collected more frequently. This is a small waste stream but not one you can keep at home for long.”
Noting the changes to the schedule for grey and green bags, however, she recommended more frequent collections relative to those for black bags “to encourage more separation”.
“This is quite bulky waste and space comes at a premium. As it is, the incentive remains to dump recyclable waste in mixed waste bags as these are collected more frequently. This is the opposite of what we wish to achieve.”
The new schedule as of January 2 is as follows:
Monday: Organic (white bag)
Tuesday: Mixed (black bag)
Wednesday: Organic
Thursday: Recyclable (green/grey bag)
Friday: Organic
Saturday: Mixed
Glass will be collected every first and third Friday of the month.
The new schedule starts on January 2.