Waste separation at source is one of the best solutions for reusing valuable resources that would otherwise be lost at mixed waste landfills.

In order to maximise the potential of waste, Malta has already established several regulations that aid the environment as a whole. This includes the enforcement of the Single Use Plastic regulations and the implementation of the new Mandatory Waste Separation laws.

Through these new legislations, the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) is actively implementing several policies that help to cut back on the use of plastics while using environmentally friendly alternatives as well as reusing valuable resources.

ERA held a public consultation on the introduction of Mandatory Waste Separation at source for everyone, including government entities, households, businesses, and other organisations, in a bid to recover as much plastic as possible from our waste.

No household at the time of the public consultation was obliged to separate waste at home by law, but this is leading to a significant share of recyclable waste resources being disposed of as mixed residual waste (i.e. in the black bag), hence losing the potential reusability of these products.

The Mandatory Waste Separation regulations that are now being developed and will soon come to practice will step up Malta’s efforts in creating a stronger policy to promote more waste recycling and to drastically reduce mixed waste to landfills by 2035.

The main intention is to improve cleanliness in residential areas and commercial districts, by providing the required educational campaigns and the necessary legal framework to discourage irregular dumping of waste bags in public areas.

The aim of the newly proposed regulations is therefore to maximise the recovery of waste and to afford better protection to the environment against improper waste separation thus safeguarding our natural environment for future generations.

With the introduction of Mandatory Waste Separation, the authorities are working to further mitigate the impacts of waste on the local environment. The more waste we separate properly, the fewer landfills are needed.

Currently, 90% of Malta’s municipal waste ends up in landfills, and the national target according to the Malta Waste Management Plan 2021-2030, as well as the landfill directives of the European Union, aims to decrease this to 10% by 2035.

As of the 14th of April of 2023, the Waste Separation Amendments will be enforceable by Law for everyone.

This means that you will no longer be allowed to dispose of organic waste in the black bag but in a white bag instead. This principle also applies to recyclable waste such as plastic, paper, and other materials that have to be separated. For example, glass is no longer allowed to be thrown away into a black or grey bag but left out for the municipal door-to-door collection every first and third Friday of every month.

Between the months of April till October, ERA and other authorities will be conducting an education campaign for the public to familiarise themselves with these new regulations.

This will be achieved via information campaigns done on popular media as well as issuing warnings to those persons that have disposed of their waste inappropriately or on the wrong days. After the lapse of these six months, whoever is caught disposing of waste inadequately will be fined - €75 for businesses and €25 for households. These fines will be doubled, €150 for businesses and €50 euro for households respectively, for those that have been repeatedly caught disposing of waste inappropriately.

For more information about Mandatory Waste Separation, you can visit era.org.mt or wsm.com.mt.