Underground bins and mixed collections among PN proposals to tackle garbage
Opposition also wants to see greater enforcement against illegal dumping of waste
Underground bins and waste collection vehicles able to pick up multiple types of rubbish at once are among the measures proposed by the PN in a new waste management consultation document unveiled Thursday.
The Opposition Nationalist Party also proposed fully electrifying the waste collection fleet, using recycled water for street cleaning and deploying more ‘smart bins’, which update GreenPak about deposited waste levels in a bid to increase efficiency of collections.
The proposals were authored by PN shadow minister for public cleanliness Eve Borg Bonello, who on Tuesday released a video on social media showing her collecting rubbish alongside refuse workers and asking them about difficulties faced on the job.
In a statement, the PN said the country was “plagued by heaps of garbage bags, competing for space with pedestrians and undermining quality of life”.
Its Innaddfu lil Malta plan “addresses the urgent issues affecting the country’s most densely populated areas and charts a path towards cleaner, healthier communities for all”, the PN said, describing current curbside collection practices as “a major point of failure”.
The Opposition also wants to expand enforcement against illegal dumping of waste through existing agencies or empower local councils to issue fines.
Graphic: PN.
Graphic: PN.
“The plan also emphasises flexibility, with tailored solutions for different localities – from graffiti removal in urban centres to marine debris collection in coastal zones”, it said.
The PN emphasised that a “comprehensive carrying-capacity study” was at the heart of its plans, which, alongside data from smart bins, would “form the foundation for a modern, efficient waste management system designed to serve Malta for decades”.
It called on the government to carry out carrying-capacity studies in every locality and said it was submitting motions to establish the infrastructure needs of each town, noting past motions had seen support from some Labour councillors.
Speaking at a press conference unveiling the proposals, Borg Bonello said, “Politics should be about solving problems for the people you represent”.
“When the Government fails to act summer after summer, it is the duty of the Opposition to step in with real, workable solutions. Malta has the talent and determination to fix this; we just need hope and energy to act.”
PN College of Local Councillors president Liam Sciberras said the PN was “not only identifying the problems but, with a sense of responsibility, is also offering real solutions for citizens”.