Environmental awareness has heightened recently as evidenced by media reports covering an array of thematic areas ranging from green infrastructure to waste management, climate change and marine litter. This augurs well as increased awareness leads to a behavioural shift by all actors, not least by citizens and enterprise, whose individual action is necessary to bring about change.

‘Transitioning towards a circular economy’ is one of a series of multi-pronged initiatives under the stewardship of the European Union aimed at fostering increased resilience. Translated into simpler terms, this implies using and reusing resources already in the economy more efficiently to minimise losses and to rely less on the drawdown of natural resources.

While many fail to see its application in our local context, the government, with foresight, has already driven projects in this direction, and aims to continue doing so, not only to conform with obligations, but because through the application of the concept of circular economy we have the potential to redress the challenges of resource deficiencies, waste generation and management.

Small Island States like ours have been defined as living labs, which due to the environmental pressures experienced as a result of insularity are bound to adopt sustainable practices to preserve their natural capital. Nonetheless, our small size also poses the challenge of economies of scale and we therefore need to identify what is potentially sustainable and pursue such initiatives.

Central to the concept of a circular economy is engaging in sustainable production and consumption, which also resonates with the established UN Sustainable Development Goals. Collectively, conscious decisions on what we consume, how we do so, and the way we rid ourselves of what remains, should seek alignment with circularity principles. 

Clearly, the drive towards minimising the use of single-use plastics (or disposables) is a step in the right direction. This initiative is gaining traction across different sectors, even locally – some hotels, restaurants and bars have voluntarily discontinued consuming plastic straws, or these were swapped with metal, bamboo or paper alternatives; some local festas have even stopped the use of balloons in their celebrations, and dispensing products in bulk, as opposed to individually packed goods, is becoming increasingly common in supermarkets. Voluntary action out of civic duty or corporate responsibility by consumers and enterprise alike is one to be praised and promoted in a bid to foster more.

Through the optimisation of its operations or even by re-engineering processes, the private sector can actively contribute to the transition towards a closed-loop economy

However, relying on voluntary initiatives does not suffice if we are to achieve ambitious environmental targets. As part of the Circular Economy Plan, the EU published four legislative waste proposals which have recently been approved. Legally binding targets to increase recycling of municipal solid waste to 65 per cent and reduce landfilling to 10 per cent are to be achieved by 2035.

The Minister for the Environment, Sustainable Development and Climate Change has communicated his intent to make recycling mandatory, introducing fines for non-compliance. This coupled with other projects which consistently reinforce the same message, that of managing resources efficiently, thereby transitioning to a circular economy, should get us closer to achieving our targets.

The national roll-out of the organic bag project is a prime example of a circular initiative. Organic waste constitutes more than 50 per cent of the waste disposed of in the black bag. When this is separately collected, through anaerobic digestion, energy is generated, while producing compost as a by-product, thereby waste becomes a resource. The deposit scheme for plastic, metal and glass beverage containers being proposed by the Ministry for the Environment is another example contributing to making our economy more circular.

With the collection of beverage containers in reverse vending machines, high-quality recycling can be achieved, resulting in producing a secondary raw material which is then symbiotically integrated into other industrial processes. These projects and others can only be successful if citizens and enterprise collaborate fully.

Through the optimisation of its operations or even by re-engineering processes, the private sector, not only that engaged in heavy industrial activities, can actively contribute to the transition towards a closed-loop economy. The hospitality and catering business, the digital sector and the construction industry, among others, have the potential to switch to, and promote more resource-efficient practices, aligning their business model to the circular economy concept. 

The government’s commitment towards fostering a circular economy is further evidenced by its intention to set up a dedicated structure, with the aim of promoting the right climate to facilitate actions, with a view to creating resources from waste and to lengthen the life cycle of products further.  It will act as a catalyst to demonstrate the business opportunities that circularity could offer the private sector, promoting the involvement of the private sector in waste management and circular initiatives. 

It is from here that the private sector needs to pick up the mantle and put forward actions that are truly circular in nature, enjoining the government to support it, where market conditions dictate such. 

It has often been said that the government should not enter into operational activities but to focus on policy and regulatory affairs. The time is now for the private sector to run with this initiative to make Malta’s economy more resilient and competitive.

Ruth Debrincat Tabone is director of environment and climate change at the Ministry for Sustainable Development, the Environment and Climate Change.