Separated waste system picking up

Some 613,460 kilograms of separated waste have been collected in the weekly door-to-door collections that kicked off on May 5, Resources Minister George Pullicino said today.

He said the new system was complementary to collections from bring-in sites,where volume was also increasing.

Speaking during a press conference in Attard – where the highest amount of waste per capita was collected from doorsteps – Mr Pullicino stressed that bags containing anything other than metal, plastic and paper would not be collected during the afternoon collections of separated waste. Collectors, he continued, would be putting a sticker on uncollected bags to inform people why their bag had not been collected.

The minister pointed out that throwing away glass among the separated waste could lead to injuries among waste separators working at the St Antnin Recycling Plant, while organic waste could contaminate the rest of the waste, rendering it useless.

Mr Pullicino said newly appointed inspectors were currently going round localities to listen to people’s complaints and make sure that the system was working well. Among their work was ensuring that all vehicles are cleaned before collecting separated waste to ensure that no contamination took place.

He continued that a culture change was not only needed among collectors – who would not be paid unless they abided by the agreed regulations – but also among the public who must realise the importance of separating waste.