42% of Maltese do not use Civic Amenity sites

Lack of transport, awareness at the root of the problem according to survey respondents

A recent survey carried out by Wasteserv shows that only 11% of Maltese are disposing of expired medicines, used syringes and used cooking oil correctly, while spent light bulbs and neon tubes are being disposed of correctly by only 17% of the population.

In contrast, 74% of Maltese are following correct disposal practices for batteries. Results of the 1400-strong survey also indicate that 42% of the Maltese population have never used the services of a Civic Amenity (CA) site.

Spent light bulbs, neon tubes and batteries, expired medicines, used syringes and used cooking oil are all examples of waste which are classified as hazardous due to their potential harmful effects on the environment and on human health if disposed of incorrectly.

Other examples include paint and paint canisters, WEEE (waste electrical and electronic equipment) and chemicals such as pesticides and fertilisers.  The correct way to dispose of such waste is taking it to a CA site. 

There are currently four CA sites in Malta and one in Gozo. The first CA site opened in Magħtab in November 2006, shortly followed by another in Mrieħel in March 2007. A sixth CA site located in Ta’ Qali is also nearing completion and will open to the public in the coming months. Apart from accepting hazardous waste, CA sites also cater for the disposal of bulky household waste and domestic recyclable waste.

Out of the 42% of respondents who said they have never used a CA site before, 54% said this was due to lack of information about these facilities, while 34% said they make use of the Local Council’s bulky refuse service instead. 

Other reasons quoted were lack of transport, lack of interest in waste separation and lack of time. Initiatives to raise more awareness about CA sites and hazardous waste are already being planned and implemented by WasteServ. The company is also seeking to tap into EU funds from the 2014-2020 funding period for a major nation-wide educational campaign.

In total the survey captured the views of 1400 respondents, the majority of whom (57%) fell in the 31-60 age brackets. 

WasteServ thanked all those entities who contributed to making this survey possible, namely: Arkadia Group, Baystreet Shopping Complex, Carters Supermarket, Chain Supermarkets, Daniels Shopping Complex, Embassy Shopping Complex, Ganza Detergent Shop, GS Superstore, Lasco Supermarket, M4 Supermarket, Main Street Complex, More Supermarkets, the Office of the President, Park Towers Supermarkets, the PARKS and Rural Development Departments within the Ministry for Sustainable Development, the Environment and Climate Change, Shoppers Discount Supermarket, Shopwise Discount Store, The Duke Shopping Mall, The Plaza Shopping Centre and The Point.

More information can be found on www.wasteservmalta.com, by calling on 8007 2200, emailing [email protected] or via www.facebook.com/WasteServ.