A local firm has just won a Wasteserv tender to recycle tyres. Raymond Fenech and his cousins, the brothers Charles and Paul Cremona, run the family firm, Metalco Ltd of Luqa.
Their grandfather, Antonio Cremona, started dealing in scrap right after World War I in 1920. The firm has operated in Naxxar, Marsa and other localities, before settling at its current location in the appositely named Scrap Lane some 60 years ago.
Metalco recycles everything, from non-ferrous metals to tyres, including wire cable.
"We are a family business that has seen its ups and downs, depending on the price of scrap metal, which fluctuates over time on the metal exchange," Mr Fenech said.
"We buy from other local scrapyards and have been involved as partners with most of the existing scrapyards, apart from several that are no longer in business. In the past we used to melt metal and aluminium for scrap to make secondary ingots but the cost of fuel and electricity now makes it uneconomical."
Metalco buys all types of material and sorts it for baling, the removal of plastic and of aluminium cans and the pressing of metal cans.
It has been recycling tyres for the past five years.
"Malta had a big problem with tyres," Mr Fenech said. "Maghtab was full of them and, apart from being a hazard if they caught fire, they also took up a lot of space. We did not know what to do."
Sweden, Denmark, the UK and Germany had started recycling and they went to the UK to see plants and imported their first equipment.
The tyres are ground, fluff and any metal removed, and the resultant material produced is used for football pitches, playgrounds, other sports pitches, race tracks, pavements and even horse paddocks, with plenty of local demand in both Malta and Gozo.
"We always think long term," Mr Fenech said. They also intend to use the rubber to make bollards, pavement edges and non-slip surfaces for internal yards. They can also colour the granules according to the buyer's specification.
The Wasteserv tender contract, which Metalco has to bid for each year, involves recycling around 1,200 tons of tyres a year.
The recycling process
The tyres are first cut into bits of rubber around 150mm in diameter. A second machine then cuts them to around 22mm. In the third process, 90 per cent of the metal is removed and, in the final process, the remaining metal and fluff is removed and granules of between 0.5mm and 3mm are produced.
The family owns the current site, which enables them to offer highly competitive prices.
In the past five years, the firm has exported to the UK, Ireland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Cyprus, Jordan and Peru. The latest country it is exporting to is Egypt, which is taking 120 tons. Through All Sports International of Qormi, it is supplying the FIFA Gold Project in South Africa. Austria and Vietnam are also keen to take its products.
A separate plant is used to recycle all types of wiring. The copper is separated from the rubber for recycling - and use is even being found for the rubber.
Metalco are also contracted by the Customs Department and the law and order authorities to destroy contraband and counterfeit goods caught by Customs, including cigarettes, shoes, clothes, watches and accessories. These are then disposed of at Maghtab.
Metalco is expanding and plans to go into other areas of recycling.
Their grandfather, Antonio Cremona, started dealing in scrap right after World War I in 1920. The firm has operated in Naxxar, Marsa and other localities, before settling at its current location in the appositely named Scrap Lane some 60 years ago.
Metalco recycles everything, from non-ferrous metals to tyres, including wire cable.
"We are a family business that has seen its ups and downs, depending on the price of scrap metal, which fluctuates over time on the metal exchange," Mr Fenech said.
"We buy from other local scrapyards and have been involved as partners with most of the existing scrapyards, apart from several that are no longer in business. In the past we used to melt metal and aluminium for scrap to make secondary ingots but the cost of fuel and electricity now makes it uneconomical."
Metalco buys all types of material and sorts it for baling, the removal of plastic and of aluminium cans and the pressing of metal cans.
It has been recycling tyres for the past five years.
"Malta had a big problem with tyres," Mr Fenech said. "Maghtab was full of them and, apart from being a hazard if they caught fire, they also took up a lot of space. We did not know what to do."
Sweden, Denmark, the UK and Germany had started recycling and they went to the UK to see plants and imported their first equipment.
The tyres are ground, fluff and any metal removed, and the resultant material produced is used for football pitches, playgrounds, other sports pitches, race tracks, pavements and even horse paddocks, with plenty of local demand in both Malta and Gozo.
"We always think long term," Mr Fenech said. They also intend to use the rubber to make bollards, pavement edges and non-slip surfaces for internal yards. They can also colour the granules according to the buyer's specification.
The Wasteserv tender contract, which Metalco has to bid for each year, involves recycling around 1,200 tons of tyres a year.
The recycling process
The tyres are first cut into bits of rubber around 150mm in diameter. A second machine then cuts them to around 22mm. In the third process, 90 per cent of the metal is removed and, in the final process, the remaining metal and fluff is removed and granules of between 0.5mm and 3mm are produced.
The family owns the current site, which enables them to offer highly competitive prices.
In the past five years, the firm has exported to the UK, Ireland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Cyprus, Jordan and Peru. The latest country it is exporting to is Egypt, which is taking 120 tons. Through All Sports International of Qormi, it is supplying the FIFA Gold Project in South Africa. Austria and Vietnam are also keen to take its products.
A separate plant is used to recycle all types of wiring. The copper is separated from the rubber for recycling - and use is even being found for the rubber.
Metalco are also contracted by the Customs Department and the law and order authorities to destroy contraband and counterfeit goods caught by Customs, including cigarettes, shoes, clothes, watches and accessories. These are then disposed of at Maghtab.
Metalco is expanding and plans to go into other areas of recycling.