It is shocking to hear that the proposed and much awaited new landfill at Ghallis will last for only seven years. This, despite the fact that time and time again government had pledged that this facility will have a 20 year lifespan.

FoE claims that since the waste management strategy was published in 2001, the government has failed to design, finance and implement a national waste reduction and waste separation policy. To date, the government has been shying away from its responsibilities and blinding the public with sporadic waste separation initiatives such as those in some government departments and schools. A carefully-planned waste reduction and separation policy goes well beyond simply ‘dumping’ a couple of Bring In Sites here and there. Given the lack of sufficient financial and human resources as well as adequate facilities to back these initiatives, it is clear that there is no real political commitment towards waste reduction and separation.

Given the present scenario we do not need experts to tell us that the new landfill at Ghallis will reach its maximum capacity in seven years instead of twenty! Neither will we need the government to tell us that Malta is heading towards an incineration policy.

FoE (Malta) is very disappointed that the Maltese public has not been given a fair chance at proper waste separation by means of systems that meet the needs of all sectors in society. One way of achieving this is by offering door-to-door collection of separated waste.

friends of the earth international [foei] is a federation of organizations from all over the world that are campaigning to protect the environment and to create sustainable societies
foei is registered in amsterdam under number 40535338