Overview
The Maltese Government published a 2014-2020 Waste Management Plan to address the need for better waste management in Malta. Under Malta’s plan, it must meet a series of targets to reduce the generation of waste and to increase source separation to promote recycling and reduce landfilling. Malta is obliged to reach the various European Union set targets, and its single waste site has reached its capacity. Under the new EU rules known as circular economy, by 2025, Malta should recycle at least 55 percent of municipal waste from households and businesses. The target for recycling will then rise to 60 percent by 2030 and 65 percent by 2035. It should recycle 65 percent of packaging materials by 2025, and 70 percent by 2030. Separate targets are set for specific packaging materials, such as paper and cardboard, plastics, glass, metal, and wood.
Malta’s high population density, limited land space, and lack of economies of scale challenge its ability to achieve the required positive results. Malta is currently one of the highest waste generators in the EU, and the country’s current waste strategy requires a radical overhaul. The government announced plans in 2018 to build a new $185 million waste to energy plant utilizing moving grate combustion and issued a Request for Proposal for a public-private partnership for this plant in Q1 2020. The new plant has a set target of 2023 for completion and should handle 114,000 tons of waste per year (or 40 percent of the waste generated in Malta), with the rest of the waste to be recovered and recycled. The government confirmed its commitment to create different waste streams, such as a bottle return scheme, and to impose requirements for recycling at the source for commercial, industrial, and domestic waste, for the remaining 60 percent.
Opportunities
Opportunities exists in Waste to Energy turn-key service; waste disposal equipment; and waste systems improvements; recycling systems, products and services; and landfill cleanups and renewals.
Resources
Wasteserv: https://www.wsm.com.mt/
Ministry for the Environment, Climate Change and Planning: https://environment.gov.mt/