Luqa, Attard, Għaxaq, Kalkara, San Ġwann and Xagħra (Gozo) councils were officially recognised as winners of the recycling awards during the 2015 Annual Green Pak Local Council Awards, organised by Green Pak Cooperative Society.
These awards serve to recognise those local councils that have striven most to improve their green credentials for the betterment of their locality and their respective environment. Three local councils were nominated as finalists in each of the six categories.
This year’s edition saw the introduction of a new Waste to Recyclables Award, intended to stimulate the diversion of waste away from the mixed waste collection and towards recycling. This first award was won by Luqa Local Council. Best Overall Performance was awarded to San Ġwann council with an annual collection rate of 50.5 kg/capita. Attard council scooped the Most Supportive Locality award for motivating the locality to recycle more. The awards of Best Performance: Glass Recycling and Most Improved Locality went to Kalkara and Għaxaq respectively.
For the second consecutive year, Inspire Foundation sponsored the Inspire Foundation Award as a token of appreciation to those councils participating in the used clothes collection campaign. The award was won by Xagħra council, whose residents collected an average of two kilos of used clothes per household.
Green Pak Coop Society CEO Mario Schembri said: “With satisfaction, one notices that among the runner-ups and winners are councils who have joined Green Pak in recent years for the purpose of improving their environmental credentials. In the space of a few years, these have improved so much that they are now enjoying both benefits and rewards and are an example for others to follow.”
The award ceremony was attended by more than 80 mayors, executive secretaries and councillors. Environment Minister Leo Brincat and Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government Stefan Buontempo congratulated the councils.
Mr Brincat said: “When we look back at the results achieved by Green Pak along the years, together with innovations introduced in Malta in the waste management sector, we are convinced that newly introduced WEEE system will achieve similar success as that achieved in recycling of waste packaging.”
The winning local councils were each awarded €1,000 to support ongoing environmental projects within their respective locality for the benefit of residents.