General Buzz and Commander Yellow are locked in a constant fight against Garbage Monster, to help separate waste in the correct way and turn it into a valuable resource.

If this sounds like a plot line out of a comic, think again – because correctly separating waste is a very real issue.

Separating waste at source is critical – because after rubbish bags are taken out and collected, they are taken to the WasteServ facility in Marsascala. Here, they are loaded onto a bag opener and all the items that were in the bags to fall onto a conveyor belt. Several sorters along the conveyor belt manually sort through the different materials which they will then throw into a designated chute. 

Once the different materials – paper, cardboard, metal, clear plastic, and coloured plastic – are sorted, these are baled. Bales are then sold locally or on European and international markets, where they are used to produce other products.  

This highlights how when throwing away waste, it is important that this is organised according to type – and that only the right waste is placed in the recycling bag. So mixed recyclables go into the grey or green bag, organic waste should be thrown away in the white bag, while the black bag should only be used for mixed waste. 

WasteServ – which is responsible for organising, managing and operating integrating systems for waste management – estimates that a staggering 25 per cent of the recycling bag is made up of incorrect items that should not have made their way there. 

Although last year was a record year for recyclables processed by WasteServ, there is still a lot of room for improvement. And that’s because organic waste, glass, textiles, electronic waste, medical and sanitary waste, and even DIY materials such as wood scraps, tiles and rubble are some of the most common items wrongly placed in the recycling bag. This contamination of waste poses several challenges and can jeopardise the whole processing cycle – which in turn, makes WasteServ’s process slower, and impacts the quality of the bales.  

Learning what items to throw away – and how to dispose of them – is one small step, which leaves a huge impact. For instance, items such as cans and plastic containers are rinsed before throwing them away. Also, food residue should be removed so that they do not contaminate paper and cardboard in the same bag. 

WasteServ has published a waste separation guide which gives valuable information on how to separate and recycle your waste. 

The right bag

Organic waste, glass and other material are frequently thrown away in the recycling bag. But that’s wrong. Here is how they should be disposed of?

Organic 

All fruit and vegetable peelings, uneaten food and plate scrapings, bread and pastries, cooked meat including bones, fish, mouldy or expired food without its packaging, non-liquid dairy products, eggs and eggshells, rice, pasta, beans, tea bags and coffee grounds should all go in the white biodegradable organic bags. Non-food items which can also be thrown in this bag include napkins soiled with food and very small garden waste like flowers and leaves but no twigs. Organic waste is collected every week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. 

Glass

Glass bottles and glass jars can be taken out for door-to-door collection, to a Civic Amenity Site or to the Roadshow Truck. You can also make use of the iBins and bring-in-sites available around Malta and Gozo. Rinse your glass bottles and jars to avoid any contamination and don’t forget to remove any caps and metal lids as these belong in your recycling bag. 

Textiles

Clothes, bedsheets, curtains, shoes, and bags that are in good condition can be donated, taken to one of the Roadshow Trucks or placed in the clothes banks in your locality. 

Electronic waste 

Electric and electronic waste consist of any items that have a plug, use batteries, or require charging, such as fridges, ovens and washing machines, hairdryers, electric toothbrushes, shavers, radios, CD/DVD players, electronic toys and games, phones, TVs, printers and cameras. These items can be taken to a Civic Amenity Site. You can also make use of the bulky waste collection service offered free of charge by your local council. Appliances that are not bigger than 50cm can be taken to the Roadshow Trucks. 

Medical and sanitary waste 

Any unwanted or expired medicine, bottled medicine, inhalers and medicinal cream tubes can be taken to an authorised pharmacy where special bins are available. Syringes and EpiPen devices, on the other hand, must be placed in a special sharps disposal containers and taken to a Civic Amenity Site.    

Before disposing of any medicines, remove all medicine packaging, information leaflets, and any plastic caps, cups or spoons. You can dispose of these in your recycling bag. However, tablet and capsule packaging must be disposed in the black bag. Cosmetics, personal hygiene products, face masks and nappies should also be thrown in the black bag. 

DIY materials 

Building rubble, plasterboard, tiles and wood scraps from your home renovation projects should be taken to a Civic Amenity Site.