Żminijietna - Voice of the Left, which is officially represented at Meusac's sectoral committees, believes that Malta should implement the proposed EU waste framework directive 2008/98/EC. The directive states that 50 per cent of household waste and 70 per cent of construction and demolition waste have to be collected and recycled by 2015.

The introduction of recycling targets for household waste and construction and demolition waste and the introduction of extended producer responsibility are the way forward for ecological sustainability. Malta's waste practices are unsustainable, resulting in mountains of waste, and the liberalisation of plastic bottles as from last year has added further problems. Producers should be responsible for their products and, thus, be obliged to recycle as much as possible.

Żminijietna also believes that waste separation at households should be given more priority by the government where, for example, two days a week are used for collection of just separated waste and where recycling bags should be subsidised by the state.

Unless Malta undergoes a culture change on waste practices, landfills will not suffice for waste, giving space for unhealthy and expensive incineration. Reduction and re-use should be given top priority by the state. The government should not succumb to short-term business interests of private companies but, on the contrary, should implement such framework directive.

The government should also incentivise civil society to reduce, re-use and recycle waste.