Only 11 per cent of Maltese are disposing of expired medicines, used syringes and used cooking oil correctly, according to a WasteServ survey.

The waste operator said this morning the study found that spent light bulbs and neon tubes were being disposed of correctly by only 17 per cent of the population. In contrast, 74 per cent of Maltese followed correct disposal practices for batteries.

The survey, held among 1,400 people, also shows that 42 per cent of the Maltese population never used a civic amenity site.

Of the respondents who said they never used such sites, 54 per cent said this was due to a lack of information about these facilities while 34 per cent said they used the bulky refuse service instead.

Other reasons given included lack of transport, lack of interest in waste separation and lack of time.

WasteServ said it will seek to tap EU funds to launch a nationwide campaign aimed at raising awareness of the civil amenity sites and about hazardous waste.