Malta lagging in national and European waste management targets – Auditor General

The Auditor General Charles Deguara has said that Malta is lagging behind in attaining national and European waste management targets.

Deguara’s findings were presented in a performance audit report tabled in parliament by Speaker of the House Anglu Farrugia on Monday.

The report finds that inadequate waste separation at source is leading to recyclable waste being dumped in landfills. This, Deguara noted, is by far the most expensive solution from a financial and environmental standpoint.

“Contrary to the polluter pays principle advocated in the waste management regulatory framework, in practice the government is shouldering the lion’s share of waste management related costs,” he said.

The report forms part of a cooperative audit initiative undertaken jointly with another 11 European State Audit Institutions (SAIs) under the auspices of the European Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions Working Group on Environmental Auditing (EUROSAI WGEA).

The government’s yearly funding to WasteServ, which in 2019 amounted to €33 million, does not reflect “the actual plastic packaging waste treatment costs and the cost to derive and export refuse-derived fuel.”

Moreover, landfilling gate fees, with WasteServ charging €20 per tonne, do not reflect the actual costs, which are estimated to amount to €74 per tonne.

The recent collapse of the recyclables’ market and operational difficulties brought about by the incident at Sant’Antnin Waste Treatment Plant in 2017 meant that WasteServ’s revenues decreased disproportionally, according to the report.

“These circumstances also raise questions regarding the equitable sharing of risks and responsibilities through WasteServ’s agreement with the schemes,” Deguara said.

The auditor general acknowledged government’s political commitment to allocate around €500 million towards extending and upgrading Malta’s waste treatment facilities.

“Such an investment, however, will not deliver its full potential unless it is complemented with the increased adoption of circular economy principles, which in turn will facilitate the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals targets,” he said.

Plastic’s health and environmental risks can only be tackled though a consorted effort, the auditor general said, insisting on a coordinated effort between stakeholders, including political, administrative, the industry and consumers, as well as an effort to reduce its production at the outset.     

A number of recommendations were presented in the report.