Waste separation project at Valletta Waterfront to become permanent

An eight month waste separation project at the Valletta Waterfront has been so successful that its operators shall now be running it on a permanent basis.

Catering and retail operators at the Waterfront, through the Malta Hotels & Restaurant Association (MHRA) and in collaboration with Green Dot Malta, operators of the GreenPak scheme, have been successfully operating a system for the segregation and eventual collection of waste, including organic, for the past eight months.

The system involves the introduction of separate bins for different types of waste, including plastic, metal, cardboard and glass at these establishments, which replaced the 'single' waste bins previously in use. These materials are now being collected separately and sent for recycling.

The amounts of main materials collected totalled over 60 tonnes of glass, seven tonnes of cardboard, more than three tonnes of plastic, and tonnes tonnes of metal. These were sent away for recycling.

The best performing outlets - Agenda Book Shop, CasaNova, and Q Bar were this evening awarded certificates of merit by Tourism Parliamentary Secretary Mario de Marco.

has been lobbying in favour of sustainable tourism for years. When it approached the management of Viset with its idea for a project aimed to support waste separation by the catering and retail establishments at the Waterfront, Viset was most receptive. GreenDot Malta was roped in to run the project. Viset has now decided to continue waste separation at the Valletta Waterfront on a permanent basis.

Viset chief executive John Portelli said that a one of the leading entertainment destinations on the island, set in a historical backdrop, the consortium’s role went beyond that of enhancing the Valletta Waterfront experience.

“We firmly believe that as good corporate citizens we have a wider role to play in our environment. With this in mind, we are supporting GreenPak’s initiative and have signed a specific contract with them for continued waste segregation.”

Green Dot Malta CEO Mario Schembri, said the project was subsidised by Green Dot Malta and would continue to be monitored in the coming months. In just eight months, over 72 tonnes of segregated waste were collected through this system and recycled. If every zone or locality in Malta took up such initiatives, there could be an instant marked improvement both in the direct environment as well as in the country’s commitments to achieve the EU targets set for Malta.

However, while companies and other organisations could be well-meaning in waste disposal, good intentions were not enough. Such companies and organisations needed to be supported with the right infrastructure.

“Green Dot Malta is prepared to deliver that support.”