Updated 7.10pm with ministry's reaction

Fines for taking out the wrong rubbish bag would start being issued “in the near future” and after the Christmas season, the Environment Minister told the Times of Malta this week.

A new recycling scheme that came into force earlier this month requires households to separate their waste and place organic material in white bags while using black bags for mixed waste and grey or green ones for recyclables.

At the moment rubbish bags being taken outdoors on the wrong day are being marked by a sticker.

Each bag needs to be taken out on specific days and anyone caught putting the wrong garbage bag will be liable to a fine. However, one month since the launch of the new scheme, it remains unclear how the new fines will be enforced.

The Environment Ministry was asked about the procedures that the Local Enforcement System Agency, the police and Environment and Resources Authority officials will be following when issuing the fines.

Some have questioned whether they would be looking through the trash in the bags or whether people would also be fined if they put the right kind of waste in the wrong bag, such as transparent plastic ones that some have been advised to use for organic waste.

An Environment Ministry spokesman said the procedures were “based on normally adopted enforcement principles using methodologies which are legally bound”. This meant that if someone was caught placing the wrong bag on the wrong day – like putting the black bag on kerbside on a Wednesday – the person would be fined in line with the parameters outlined in the legislation, he noted.

The ERA had told this newspaper those found in contravention of regulations after November 30 would be fined between €150 and €500.

Read: Fines 'only as a last measure', says environmental regulator

The ministry spokesman added that about 2,000 tonnes had so far been collected and the government intended to “gradually start enforcing the legislation in the near future knowing that such change in mentality requires some time for people to adapt”.

Gradually start enforcing the legislation

In comments to Times of Malta, Environment Minister José Herrera expressed satisfaction that the organic waste separation project was faring better than predicted. “The amount of collected organic waste is considerable and very much in line with our targets. There are obviously still some teething troubles as this requires a mentality change,” he said.

'She was being watched... and fined €150'.

People complained of rude officers issuing fines.

“We are satisfied that people are cooperating and since people are, far and large, showing goodwill, registering progress every week, I will allow some more time before implementing fines.”

Measures would be implemented when the authorities believed that enough time had passed for the mentality to have changed, the minister added.

Dr Herrera said enforcement would start “in the near future”. He did not yet know when this would be but said it would not take months. “I would prefer for it to be after Christmas but we still have to discuss it internally,” he said.

Despite the minister's assurances, people on Facebook reported that community officers were already issuing fines. 

"She was being watched by a warden and fined €150," a woman wrote of her mother on popular Facebook group The Salott. 

"Couldn't the warden have warned her instead of pouncing on her?" 

Ministry's reaction

Questioned over reports that people were already being fined, the Environment Ministry spokesman said that the issued contraventions were not related to the fact that someone took out the wrong bag at the wrong time or on the wrong day.

In one case, the person issued the fine placed the garbage bag in a corner creating a mini dumping site, while in the other case the person placed the garbage bag in front of another door or household.

"I do hope that people understand that such actions go against not just the laws but more against the civic duty of respecting the communities we live in," he added.

He also noted that those who felt aggrieved by how the situation was handled should report directly to the respective authority and the case would  be investigated.