Households cut black bag waste by 31.5% in a decade, says WasteServ CEO
Households are increasingly rethinking their waste disposal habits, contributing to a 31.5% decrease in the rate of black bags that ended up in landfills over the past decade, WasteServ CEO Richard Bilocca told The Malta Independent on Sunday.The Was
Households are increasingly rethinking their waste disposal habits, contributing to a 31.5% decrease in the rate of black bags that ended up in landfills over the past decade, WasteServ CEO Richard Bilocca told The Malta Independent on Sunday.
The WasteServ CEO remarked that this drop is all the more encouraging when keeping in mind that in the past 10 years, Malta's tourism has grown, its population has increased by around 100,000, and its GDP has more than doubled.
"This is a positive trend, which has been sustained over the years. For example, when comparing 2024 to 2023, there has been a 2% reduction in black bags from households. This reflects a substantial decrease in mixed waste tonnage, at a time when population, economic activity, and tourism are all on the rise," said Bilocca.
Waste thrown in black bags, he explained, is the worst form, as it is mixed waste that once landfilled, rots and releases methane into the atmosphere. He stated that methane has more than 25 times the warming power of carbon dioxide - a gas usually associated with vehicle emissions.
Comparing the present situation to the period between 2010 and 2013, Bilocca said the number of black bags WasteServ collected in 2024 was the lowest rate ever received from households in Malta.
He commented that the rate of domestic black bags was still much less than before even when taking into consideration the number of commercial black bags. Furthermore, Bilocca stated that residential black bags received by WasteServ have decreased so much that the marginal increase resulting from commercial waste has been absorbed by the decrease in residential waste.
Bilocca (above) attributed these results to the changes implemented over the years. "These are facts, not opinions. The significant reduction took us by surprise, as we didn't anticipate such a positive response from the public. This improvement coincided with the introduction of the new schedule two years ago."
Discussing the new schedule, he noted that this rewarded those who separated their waste, leading to a significant increase in organic waste and a corresponding decrease in black bags. According to household waste collection statistics, 2024 witnessed a 150% increase in household grey bag use, compared to the 2010-2013 average, along with a 31.5% reduction in black bags.
"WasteServ's role is to facilitate and support the island's objectives to reduce waste and meet its targets. We have invested heavily in a high skill-based workforce as well as infrastructure, and we have to look ahead to constantly improve," Bilocca said.
Apart from a positive shift in mentality and the new schedule, other changes such as the differentiated gate fees had all contributed to the positive results, the WasteServ CEO said. Bilocca added that while the gate fees for mixed waste had increased, those for organic waste and recycling remained unchanged, contributing to the encouraging shift.
Asked if WasteServ had witnessed an additional strain on Malta's waste management due to an increase in population numbers, Bilocca said WasteServ was actually receiving less mixed waste.
The WasteServ CEO said that educational campaigns on waste collection and management were reaping results, and were a key element of the company's existence.
Bilocca said that five years ago, 95% of the waste received would go straight into the landfill, with just 5% being separated or recycled. However, since the introduction of the new schedule, the percentage of waste going into the landfill registered a drop.
Referring to NSO reports, Bilocca noted that the landfilling rate in 2023 was 78.7%, "a rate that was nothing short of remarkable". He added that WasteServ has witnessed a consistent decline in the landfilling rate since the introduction of the new schedule, "which is encouraging as we continue to outperform the previous year". Buoyed by these results, Bilocca said WasteServ's end goal was to reduce the landfilling rate to 10% from the present 78%.
With proper infrastructure, Bilocca said, the vast majority of the waste tonnage WasteServ takes in could easily be converted into energy instead of rotting in a landfill.
Referring to Maghtab's planned incinerator waste-to-energy plant, Bilocca said this plant is expected to handle 192,000 tonnes of waste that cannot be recycled. He said that in three to four years' time, this waste could be converted to produce 4.5% of Malta's base energy demand.
"Instead of landfilling our waste and letting it sit there and rot, the plan is to convert this into electricity. Different materials and items are processed to be used for different purposes. The holistic value we are getting by converting waste into a resource is incomparable."
Bilocca reiterated that these figures were something every citizen should be proud of because the latest results were all the more remarkable in the light of a population increase.
"Household waste is now separated, not just dumped into the black bag without a second thought. And, there has been increased investment to ensure WasteServ is geared to tackle the increase in work," Bilocca said, adding that between 400 and 500 trucks enter Maghtab each day.
"We have an automated plant in Sant' Antnin that processes glass, a plant in Hal-Far for mattresses, wood, electronic waste, tyres, etc... We have a plant in Gozo, and an incinerator in Marsa, which all contribute to better waste management," he said.
Shifting to ECOHIVE, which Bilocca described as the largest-ever investment in the waste management sector to drive Malta towards a circular economy, The Malta Independent on Sunday asked the WasteServ CEO how significant he believes this initiative to be for Malta's waste management.
"I cannot stress how vital this is," he said, adding that without ECOHIVE, Malta would never get close to reaching its targets.
Bilocca explained that the swift implementation of these projects is crucial to meeting EU targets; which he described as targets that are beneficial for the island and the wellbeing of its citizens.
"I'm determined to deliver meaningful results, not to go to Brussels to boast about achieving a particular ranking. That is not my priority. My main motivation is to manage waste effectively and to provide a better and healthier environment for our children. In the past, issues were often swept under the rug, leaving future generations to deal with the consequences... This is why ECOHIVE is crucial.
Discussing the various projects that form part of ECOHIVE, Bilocca said that the waste-to-energy plant in Maghtab is in the final stages of procurement and could be operational within three years of construction commencement.
He also said that tenders for the new organic processing plant will be released in a few months, while tenders for the skip management facility are expected to be announced within weeks.
Reflecting on the past year, Bilocca said the collective agreement signed in November - which will see WasteServ employees' annual salaries increase between €1,000 and €2,000 - was cause for celebration and rewarded workers' year-on-year achievements.
Among these milestones, he said, was the exponential increase in the rate of recyclables exported, more than 20,000 tonnes last year, which he remarked was nothing short of significant compared to previous years. He added that WasteServ was on track to export another record amount this year.
"Without our employees' drive and commitment, this would not have been possible. Now the time has come where they are shown our appreciation and where they can reap the fruit of their hard work. We hope this will motivate our team to achieve even better results in 2025."