Hazardous and electronic waste disposal involves laborious, meticulously planned and regulated processes, often relating to exportation, which are practically invisible to people outside the field. But demand for waste brokerage services continues to grow, presenting opportunities for industry specialists.
The market is very dynamic. New plants surface regularly
Alberta Group subsidiary PT Matic, which currently exports several thousand tonnes of hazardous and non-hazardous waste to authorised overseas facilities, is seeking to expand its waste handling capabilities to service more, and larger, clients.
With its current client base in Malta and Libya, PT Matic is one of the island’s leading Mepa-authorised waste brokers. Its professionals handle asbestos, fly ashes and boiler washings, cytotoxic (cell-destroying) and pharmaceutical waste, and waste electrical and electronic equipment.
The company currently holds the largest number of permits from the Malta Environment and Planning Authority for the export of a collection of hazardous wastes to numerous plants for treatment. Locally, asbestos is retrieved from the ‘cement’ in water tanks, downpipes and corrugated roof sheeting. Its most dangerous form is found in lagging around boilers and the pipe work.
Fly ashes are produced by the Marsa and Delimara power stations. PT Matic’s client portfolio also includes organisations involved in pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, cosmetics, oil and gas, and shipbuilding.
“Waste brokers provide solutions for the handling, transportation, disposal or recovery of controlled waste,” PT Matic’s projects and development manager Oliver Fenech told The Times Business.
“We share responsibility with the waste generators for the proper management of waste before and after its transfer. We are legally responsible for handling and transfer. The shipment of waste is controlled by the Basel Convention which adopts a very rigorous system for the control of all trans-boundary movements of waste and their disposal. Our staff co-ordinates the movements with stakeholders and ensures all the necessary permits for the wastes we carry are obtained and maintained.”
Mr Fenech explained temporary storage of hazardous waste is avoided as much as possible to minimise risk and the company often opts for direct export. Clients with small amounts of waste for shipment are offered temporary storage options at Mepa-authorised sites until PT Matic is able to consolidate with waste from other clients.
The shortage of local solutions has spurred the company to identify licensed plants across the European Union where various wastes can be treated safely. Transportation to overseas sites is complex, particularly as few shipping lines accept hazardous cargo.
“We currently handle around 6,000 tonnes of waste per year in 300 exports of a wide range of hazardous and non-hazardous waste, including oils and sludges, paints and chemicals, refuse-derived fuel and waste wood,” Mr Fenech said. “The market is very dynamic: new plants surface regularly but most of our waste is currently being shipped to Italy, Germany and Spain.”
Recovery and recycling operations are diverse. Waste electrical and electronic equipment is processed for the recovery of metals and plastics. Fly ash is first neutralised from the heavy metals it may carry, leaving behind inert materials that are used for instance as a mixer in asphalt or building blocks.
Wood and refuse-derived fuel are shipped to energy recovery plants where they are incinerated but the energy released is converted into electricity.
Mr Fenech emphasised how land filling is “always the very last option” but is sometimes inevitable, particularly where asbestos is concerned. It is deposited in safe locations underground and sealed.
PT Matic is also involved in environmental testing and analysis, supplying testing instrumentation and developing programmes for emissions monitoring and water testing.