Malta’s waste management performance continued to improve in 2024, with the country recording the lowest level of waste generation per person in the EU while narrowing the gap with the European average for plastic packaging recycling.
The latest Eurostat figures show continued progress in both reducing waste generation and increasing recycling.
Malta generated 1,092 kg of waste per person, around 36 per cent below the EU average, while its plastic packaging recycling rate stood 7.3 percentage points below the EU average of 42.4 per cent.
This marks a significant improvement from 2022, when Malta’s plastic packaging recycling rate was 26.7 percentage points below the EU average and the country was at the bottom of the European rankings. The biggest improvement came in 2023, when Malta’s plastic packaging recycling rate rose to 31.9 per cent, before continuing to climb to 35.1 per cent in 2024.
Together, the latest figures point to progress both in reducing the amount of waste generated and in improving waste separation and recycling.
WasteServ CEO Richard Bilocca welcomed the latest Eurostat figures, saying the improvement followed substantial changes to Malta’s waste management system, including investment in new recycling facilities and reforms to waste collection.
“We have invested in better facilities and changed the way waste is collected and processed, but none of this would have had the same impact without people making the effort to separate their waste.
“There is still a gap to close, and we cannot afford to become complacent, but these results show how much progress can be made when everyone plays their part,” Mr Bilocca said.
Minister for the Environment Miriam Dalli said: “The latest results show that the country is narrowing the gap, and with everyone’s efforts, I am confident that we will continue to register further improvements so that Malta’s plastic packaging recycling rate reaches and surpasses the EU average.”
Among the changes introduced were the Beverage Container Refund Scheme in November 2022, the regionalisation of waste collection in January 2023 and mandatory waste separation for households and businesses in April of that year.
WasteServ also invested in rebuilding the country’s recycling infrastructure following the devastating fire at Sant’Antnin in 2017, which destroyed Malta’s main material recovery facility and limited its capacity to sort recyclable waste.
An interim sorting line began operating at Sant’Antnin in July 2020, followed by the opening of a new €4 million material recovery facility at the ECOHIVE Complex in March 2023. The facility can process up to 40,000 tonnes of recyclable waste annually, separating different types of plastic, paper, metal and cardboard for further recycling.
Another important change has been the introduction of financial incentives for businesses to separate their waste.
The increase in recyclable materials recovered has also been reflected in WasteServ’s operations. In 2023, the company processed and exported 1,422 tonnes of different types of plastic for further recycling overseas.
The improvements extend beyond plastic packaging. In 2023, WasteServ recorded a 23 per cent reduction in mixed household waste received, while the amount of separately collected organic waste increased by 35 per cent compared with the previous year.