Malta waits for Sant’Antnin to find waste target by next year

Malta is still disposing of double the amount of biodegradable waste it was dumping 14 years ago but is planning to reach its EU landfill targets by the end of next year, according to the government.

The island has until the end of 2010 to reduce the amount of biodegradable waste sent to landfills by 25 per cent when compared to its 1995 levels.

Data supplied by the Rural Affairs Ministry to The Times shows that, with just one year from its EU deadline, Malta has failed to make much improvement since 1995.

The ministry defended itself saying this was due to the current upgrading of the Sant’Antnin recycling plant in Marsascala, which should start operating in a few weeks’ time and bring Malta in line with its targets.

“The EU targets will only come into force by the end of 2010. By that time, the Sant’Antnin facility should be working at full speed and Malta will be well within its targets,” a ministry spokesman said.

According to the EU’s Landfill Directive, which aims to reduce waste entering landfills across the EU, Malta has to cut the waste sent to landfills by a quarter until 2010 and by half by 2013. These targets are calculated on the amount of waste already sent to landfills in 1995.

This means that by the end of next year, Malta will be allowed to landfill no more than 72,000 tonnes of biodegradable waste against the 86,000 tonnes thrown in 1995.

According to the ministry’s data, this year, due to the current closure of the Marsascala recycling plant, Malta is still dumping all its biodegradable municipal waste, which amounts to 135,000 tonnes.

A European Commission spokesman said Brussels was monitoring the issue and had already sent Malta a letter asking for the latest data to ensure it was complying with its landfill targets.

“We are adamant all our member states meet their targets and we will take action if we find Malta is not compliant by the end of the year,” the official said.

“Although Malta’s data so far indicates it is still way off the mark, we are confident the deadlines set will still be met on time as a number of projects are in the pipeline,” he added.

Apart from the multi-million upgrade of the Marsascala ­facility, more initiatives are being taken to cut Malta’s ­landfill needs.

These include a waste transfer station in Gozo, which will cater for the receipt and sorting of recyclable waste, a mechanical biological treatment plant in the north of Malta and another in Gozo, which would be able to treat animal manure.