The total amount of waste treated in Malta in 2011 was 1,015,094 tonnes, 25 per cent down on the previous year.

However, this is considerably higher than the 886,548 tonnes treated in 2009, National Statistics Office figures released yesterday showed. The 250,226 tonnes of waste dumped in public landfills in 2011 was more than 3,500 tonnes over that of 2010, although the figure was considerably lower than the amounts annually dumped between 2007 and 2009.

The NSO attributed the spike between 2007 and 2009 to a decreased intake by the Sant’Antnin treatment plant, which was undergoing upgrading works.

In 2011, a total of 59, 826 tonnes of waste were treated at Sant’Antnin, up from the 25,030 tonnes of 2010. This increase is attributed to the plant’s upgrade, including the materials recovery facility in 2009 and the mechanical treatment plant in 2010.

The amount of hazardous waste incinerated at the Marsa thermal treatment plant rose year-on-year, from 327 tonnes in 2008 to 485 tonnes in 2011. This is the only facility licensed to provide final treatment for hazardous waste in Malta.

Record amounts of waste were collected from bring-in sites and civic amenity sites in 2011.