25 January 2010 | 1100 hrs | 011/2010
In 2008, waste collected from bring-in sites was up by 37 per cent when compared to the previous year.
Solid Waste Management: 2004-2008
Throughout the period under review, various treatment and disposal operations have been employed in Malta to manage the solid waste generated locally. Disposal operations for non- hazardous mineral waste, mainly generated by construction and demolition activities, processed an annual average of 86 per cent of the total waste managed in approved facilities from 2004 to 2008 (Chart 1).
Waste disposed in non-hazardous public landfills has shown a fluctuating trend from 2004 to 2008 (Table 1), with waste amounts decreasing from 2004 to 2006, to go up again from 2007 onwards. This rise is mainly attributed to the scaling down of operations at the Sant’Antnin Waste Treatment plant due to the plant’s refurbishment. This occurrence has fuelled an increase in the proportion of municipal waste which is disposed in landfills, from 83 per cent in 2006 to 92 per cent in 2008.
The disposal of non-hazardous mineral waste has also shown a fluctuating trend from 2004 to 2008 (Table 2). During this period an average annual decrease of 20 per cent has been registered in the total amounts of waste disposed. The highest amount of waste disposed was of 2.76 million tonnes during 2004, and the lowest amount of 1.08 million tonnes was recorded in 2008.
Another aspect of solid waste management is the waste treatment carried out at the Sant’Antnin plant by means of material separation and composting. The figures show that after three consecutive years of increases in the total amount of waste treated, in 2007 and 2008 an abrupt decrease was recorded. This occurred since refurbishment works at the plant started in 2007.
Waste incineration is a new waste management option which became available in 2008. During this year, the bulk of waste processed comprised animal carcasses originating from the civil abattoir and private slaughterhouses. This facility was the only one which processed hazardous waste in 2008, with 6 per cent of its total input being classified as such.
Separate collection of waste fractions has gained momentum during the period under review, with various options being made available to the general public (Table 5). By 2008, the waste amounts collected were highest in the civic amenity sites, with just under 15,000 tonnes being recorded in a single year. Increases in the different waste fractions collected from bring-in sites were registered on an annual basis since the start of the scheme in 2003 (Chart 2). On average, the rate of increase per annum from 2004 to 2008 was 45 per cent. Separated waste from Compiled by: households by means of the door-to-door collection of grey bags was introduced in May 2008. During 2008, 4,250 tonnes of such waste were collected, just over the amount of waste collected Unit B4: Environment and Resources from bring-in sites Directorate B: Business Statistics
Further information on data: Mr George SAID T. +356 2599 7301 E. [email protected] Table 1. Waste disposed in non-hazardous public landfills
Tonnes
EWC Chapter EWC Chapter Description 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Waste resulting from exploration, mining, quarrying, physical and 1 1680000 chemical treatment of minerals
Waste from agricultural, horticultural, aquaculture, forestry, hunting 2 5,782 9,281 7,752 8,790 6,848 and fishing, food preparation and processing
Wastes from wood processing and the production of panels and 3 239 78 52 99 129 furniture, pulp, paper and cardboard
4 Wastes from the leather, fur and textile industries 1,241 0 0 0 0
Wastes from petroleum refining, natural gas purification and pyrolytic 5 00000 treatment of coal
6 Wastes from inorganic chemical processes 0 0 0 0 0
7 Wastes from organic chemical processes 0 0 0 0 0
Wastes from the manufacture, formulation, supply and use (MFSU) 8 of coatings (paints, varnishes and vitreous enamels), adhesives, 511 161 174 719 147 sealants and printing inks
9 Wastes from the photographic industry 0 0 0 0 0
10 Wastes from thermal processes 1,461 210 0 12 2,072
Wastes from chemical surface treatment and coating of metals and 11 00000 other materials; non-ferrous hydro-metallurgy
Wastes from shaping and physical and mechanical surface 12 996 1,855 1,062 1,103 579 treatment of metals and plastics
Oil wastes and wastes of liquid fuels (except edible oils, and those in 13 00000 chapters 05, 12 and 19)
Waste organic solvents, refrigerants and propellants (except 07 and 14 00000 08)
Waste packaging; absorbents, wiping cloths, filter materials and 15 4,945 554 15,218 8,220 1,672 protective clothing not otherwise specified
16 Waste not otherwise specified in the list 310 304 0 0 0
Construction and demolition waste (including excavated soil from 17 30,355 8,834 4,047 5,024 9,147 contaminated sites) Wastes from human or animal health care and/or related research 18 (except kitchen and restaurant wastes not arising from immediate 00000 health care) Wastes from waste management facilities, off-site waste water 19 treatment plants and the preparation of water intended for human 25,485 16,007 14,407 7,258 1,237 consumption and water for industrial use Municipal wastes (household waste and similar commercial, 20 215,976 213,041 204,387 247,312 265,708 industrial and institutional wastes) including collected fractions
Total 287,471 250,326 247,099 278,537 287,540
Note: Figures are subject to revision Source: WasteServ Malta Ltd.
2 Table 2. Non-hazardous mineral waste disposal
Tonnes
Quarry Sites Controlled Privately Managed Total Amount of Waste Year Disposal at Sea by WasteServ Malta Ltd. Quarry Sites Disposed
2004 2,177,861 372,238 210,404 2,760,503
2005 1,185,174 776,875 357,942 2,319,991
2006 865,713 1,191,580 329,426 2,386,719
2007 981,789 562,267 146,205 1,690,261
2008 427,905 355,281 300,360 1,083,546
Note: These amounts are classified under EWC code 17 01 07 (Mixtures of concrete, bricks, tiles and ceramics other than those mentioned in 17 01 06)
Note: Figures are subject to revision Source: WasteServ Malta Ltd.; MEPA
Chart 1. Total amount of waste managed by type: 2004-2008
3,500,000
3,000,000
2,500,000
2,000,000
Tonnes 1,500,000
1,000,000
500,000
0 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Year Non-hazardous mineral waste Other waste
3 Tonnes 4,290 0000835 0000 80 101 218 178 0 521 434 678 148 0 34,776 39,349 48,665 18,806 8,221 Table 3. Waste treated at Sant'Antnin Treatment Plant Discarded equipment containing hazardous components other than those mentioned in 16 02 09 to 12 Wood other than those mentioned in 20 01 37 forming part of municipal waste Total EWC Code15 01 EWC Code Description16 01 03 Paper and cardboard packaging 16 02 13* End-of-life tyres 2004 2005 2006 962 2007 841 2008 0 0 0 20 01 20 01 02 Paper and cardboard forming part of municipal waste20 01 38 Glass forming part of municipal waste 1,921 2,747 318 2,913 2,422 718 1,999 1,372 1,605 0 20 01 3920 01 40 Plastics forming part of municipal waste20 01 99 Metals forming part of municipal waste20 02 01 Other fractions not otherwise specified forming part of municipal waste 20 03 01 Biodegradable waste forming part of municipal Mixed municipal waste 181 1,535 103 290 3,382 146 433 4,347 214 29,154 687 963 30,689 273 842 0 38,490 255 12,531 0 Note: EWC Codes with an asterisk (*) refer to hazardous waste Note: Figures are subject to revision Source: WasteServ Malta Ltd.
4 Table 4. Waste incinerated at the Marsa Thermal Treatment Plant Tonnes
EWC Code EWC Code Description 2008
02 01 02 Animal-tissue waste from agriculture and fishing 10
Animal-tissue waste from the preparation and processing of meat, fish 02 02 02 4,864 and other foods of animal origin Materials unsuitable for consumption or processing from the 02 02 03 preparation and processing of meat, fish and other foods of animal 47 origin Solid wastes containing dangerous substances from the MFSU of 07 05 13* 66 pharmaceuticals Waste from natal care, diagnosis, treatment or prevention of disease in 18 01 03* humans whose collection and disposal is subject to special 260 requirements in order to prevent infection
19 12 10 Combustible waste (refuse derived fuel) 436
Total 5,683
Note: Figures are subject to revision Note: EWC Codes with an asterisk (*) refer to hazardous waste Source: WasteServ Malta Ltd.
5 Table 5. Separate collection of waste materials
Tonnes
Material 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Paper and cardboard 476 892 1,085 1,345 1,793
Plastic 164 266 352 537 770 Bring-in Sites Cans 81 135 185 219 256
Glass 241 495 633 897 1,287
Total for Bring-in Sites 963 1,788 2,255 2,998 4,107
Mixed construction and 0 0 n/a n/a 6,162 demolition wastes
Paper and cardboard 0 0 n/a n/a 339
Electrical and electronic 0 0 n/a n/a 321 equipment
Civic Amenity Wood 0 0 n/a n/a 3,053 Sites Plastics 0 0 n/a n/a 254
Metals 0 0 n/a n/a 879
Biodegradable waste 0 0 n/a n/a 752
Bulky waste 0 0 n/a n/a 3,161
Batteries and accumulators 0 0 n/a n/a 2
Total for Civic Amenity 0 0 113 8,236 14,922 Sites
Grey Bag Collection Paper, Plastic and Metals 00004,251 from Households
Batteries 12 13 16 8 12 Other Tyres 962 1,342 1,424 2,014 2,052
Note: Figures are subject to revision Source: WasteServ Malta Ltd.
Chart 2. Waste collected from bring-in sites: 2004-2008
5,000
4,000
3,000
Tonnes 2,000
1,000
0 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Year
6 Methodological Notes
Ɣ For the first time this news release is utilising the EWC/HWL, which is the approved European system of classifying waste fractions. The EWC/HWL is a list of waste types which are assigned to processes, industries or sectors from which they may arise. Each waste type is assigned a six-digit code made up of three two-digit sub-codes. The first two ‘sub-codes’ describe the process/industry/sector from which the waste arises and the third ‘sub-code’ describes the waste type.
Ɣ The EWC/HWL has been used in Malta as a classification tool for waste statistics since 2004. Due to the absence of a long time series, up to last year waste statistics were presented according to locally devised classifications.
Ɣ Definitions: - Bring-in sites: Collection depots for clean source segregated recyclable materials. Four types of materials are collected: glass, metals, plastic and paper/cardboard. The bring-in sites scheme was initiated in July 2003, abd throughout the years the number of available depots has increased. - Civic Amenity sites: Collection depots for the separate disposal of household bulky waste such as tyres, electrical appliances, waste from DIY activities, and garden waste. The first two Civic Amenity Sites were opened in December 2006 and March 2007 respectively. In January and November 2008 a further two were opened. All four Civic Amentiy Sites are situated in Malta.
- Grey Bag Collection from Households: Door-to-door collection of mixed paper, metals and plastics from households. These waste items are then separated and prepared for recycling at the Sant’Antnin Waste Treatment plant.
- EWC/HWL: European Waste Catalogue/Hazardous Waste List.
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