Public consultation on junk mail to be launched

Public consultation on junk mail will soon be launched as Environment Minister Leo Brincat said the national plan on waste management must address this problem.

Brincat this afternoon launched a WasteServ scheme, ‘Iġbor u Irbaħ bil-Fliexken u l-Bozoz’, in an effort to raise more awareness on hazardous waste.

 Brincat said no regulatory framework existed to control junk mail and it was government’s obligation to seek incentives to minimize the generation of waste while also recycling.

According to a study by WasteServ, 17% of Maltese acknowledge that spent light bulbs are considered as hazardous waste although many still throw them away in the black garbage bag.

Brincat said the government wanted to listen to both the civil society and operators with economic interest in the sectors during the consultation period. He added that despite efforts by the previous administration to address the matter, a 2009 Budget proposal was subsequently abandoned.

The environment minister said minimizing waste will also allow government to make innovative use of recycled material.