Vehicles will go in all localities to deliver information and collect materials such as cooking oil, bulbs and neon tubes

With the introduction of the Sort it Out campaign, the public has become more conscious of the waste one generates. In a bid to further increase recycling rates and to further divert waste from landfill, WasteServ Malta Ltd has launched a Campaign making use of a new fleet of collection trucks which will serve to promote sustainable waste practices, with specific focus on waste separation in  a more effective and efficient way.  This concept will also reduce the contamination of recyclable waste since trucks will have separate compartments for the different waste streams. This was announced by the Minister for the Environment, Sustainable Development and Climate Change Jose Herrera, during a press conference announcing the launch of this roadshow.

“Our aim is to continue educating people about the importance of waste separation, while at the same time make it as convenient as possible for residents to take up recycling practices. The new collection vehicles will expand our waste and recycling services offered to the public,” stated Minister Herrera.

These trucks shall visit the village cores in all localities in Malta and Gozo every month. Promoters will be present during these visits to educate the public on waste management while addressing any queries they might have. Details of the schedule will be published on Wasteserv’s social media channels.    

Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government and Communities Silvio Parnis said that this is another initiative that will make our country a cleaner one and will help create more awareness about cleanliness. He said that this Government is committed to seeing that tomorrow we will have a cleaner country than today. This initiative together with the introduction of the organic bag in all localities, the local Government reform, the world clean up day initiative, the installation of several seabins in different ports, the fact that local councils are now obliged to have a contract management service, and several other initiatives, are a clear proof of this commitment.

Mr Tonio Montebello, WasteServ CEO, said, “Building on the positive results of the Sort it Out campaign and the newly launched medicinal waste collection scheme available in pharmacies, this initiative seeks to continue promoting sustainable waste practices with respect to separation efforts. Simply put, the more people recycle, the less waste ends up in our landfills.”

This campaign will enable Wasteserv to target hazardous waste such as cooking oil, light bulbs and light tubes. Until today, the public had to go to a Civic Amenity Site to dispose of this type of waste.  It should be noted that while hazardous waste tends to be low in volume, if not disposed correctly this can potentially create substantial environmental damage and pose a danger to public health. As part of the promotional drive, these vehicles will also accept other waste streams such as polystyrene, textiles, plastic, metal, glass, paper and cardboard. 

This project forms part of the project – ‘Encouraging sustainable waste practices in households and beyond’.  A project part-financed by the European Union through the Cohesion Funds. More information is available at www.wasteservmalta.com or by calling the freephone number 80072200.