Solid Waste Management: 2022
Waste generation
The total generation of solid waste in Malta during 2022 amounted to 2.6 million tonnes, increasing by 4.4 per cent when compared to 2021. Hazardous waste increased by 6.1 per cent or 2,624 tonnes, while non-hazardous waste increased by 4.4 per cent or 107,446 tonnes. In absolute terms the highest increases were noted for non-hazardous mineral waste from construction and demolition (87,043 tonnes) and household and similar wastes (18,529 tonnes). On the other hand, the most notable decreases were noted for non-hazardous sorting residues (6,849 tonnes) and common sludges (6,684 tonnes) (Table 1, Chart 1).
Chart 1. Annual waste generation by category aggregates
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Waste treatment
In 2022 waste treatment totalled 2.5 million tonnes, increasing by 6.1 per cent or 147,602 tonnes over 2021. Increases were registered for recovery-recycling (225,940 tonnes) and disposal-other (2,244 tonnes). Conversely, decreases were recorded for recovery-backfilling (70,467 tonnes), recovery-energy recovery (7,360 tonnes), disposal-incineration (1,584 tonnes) and disposal-landfill (1,170 tonnes).
When viewed by location of treatment the figures reveal that for treatment taking place in Malta in 2022 recovery-recycling experienced the highest increase (209,679 tonnes) while recovery-backfilling experienced the highest decrease (70,467 tonnes). Regarding treatment taking place in overseas facilities, the most notable increase was for recovery-recycling (16,261 tonnes) while the most notable decrease was for disposal-landfill (16,223 tonnes) (Table 2, Chart 2).
Chart 2. Annual waste treatment by type of operation
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During 2022, increases were registered for the waste input into the Tal-Kus (Gozo) waste transfer station (374 tonnes), the Malta North Mechanical-Biological Treatment Plant (8,862 tonnes) and the Sant’ Antnin Waste Treatment Plant (3,172 tonnes). Additionally, an increase of 5.1 per cent or 15,052 tonnes was noted for waste that was disposed at the Għallis landfill. In contrast, waste that was incinerated at the Marsa Thermal Treatment Facility fell by 5.6 per cent or 312 tonnes (Tables 3 to 5).
In terms of weight the highest amount of waste treatment taking place in Malta was recorded for inert mineral waste. In 2022 the backfilling of mineral waste from construction and demolition went down by 9.3 per cent or 69,181 tonnes. Recycling for this waste category went up by 17.9 per cent or 211,010 tonnes. In 2022 disposal at sea of mineral waste advanced by 2,244 tonnes, while the backfilling of other mineral wastes declined by 1,286 tonnes (Table 6, Chart 3).
Chart 3. Annual inert mineral waste treatment in Malta by type of operation
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Separate collection of waste
In 2022, the separate collection of waste fractions experienced a decline in all modes except for the door-to-door glass collection where amounts increased by 0.9 per cent or 30 tonnes. The highest drop, amounting to 4,188 tonnes (10.9 per cent) was registered for Civic Amenity Sites, followed by the organic waste collection at 2,678 tonnes (11.5 per cent). Declines for the grey/green bag collection and bring-in sites amounted to 422 tonnes (1.5 per cent) and 265 tonnes (7.3 per cent) respectively (Table 7, Chart 4).
Chart 4. Annual separate collection of waste fractions by type of collection
Tables
Tables
Methodological Notes
1. Data which is presented in this News Release has been sourced from the administrative records of the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA), Transport Malta and WasteServ Malta Ltd.
2. Revisions have been made to 2021 data due to updated figures that were made available by data providers. In this release, 2022 data should be considered as provisional.
3. Waste generation figures shown in Table 1 are derived from records kept by the relevant entities about the waste inputs into waste management facilities. In this process, double counting for inter-facility transfers is eliminated, except for waste that is generated as a result of waste treatment processes (secondary waste).
4. Table 2 comprises a breakdown of waste that was treated in Malta and waste that was sent for treatment in other countries into six waste treatment categories. These are based upon the categories that are used for the reporting of the Waste Statistics Regulation to Eurostat. Waste that is held in temporary storage does not form part of these categories.
5. Waste items in Tables 1 and 3 to 6, are classified according to the Statistical European Waste Classification (EWC-Stat. Version 4).
This classification has been published in the Waste Statistics Regulation 2150/2002 (WStatR) and is a substance-oriented nomenclature used to report waste generation and treatment data to Eurostat. Countries such as Malta, that collect data according to the European Waste Catalogue, can convert the data into EWC-Stat waste categories by means of the table of equivalence which is published in Annex 3 of the WStatR.
6. Discrepancies in the data that is published in this news release and the data that are available on the Eurostat website occur since data for all waste categories reported in this news release are in wet weight. For Eurostat reporting, sludges and dredging spoils are reported in dry weight. Differences may also result due to updates in the source data.
7. Totals for waste generation (Table 1) and treatment (Table 2) are not equal due to the storage of waste at certain waste treatment facilities. Moreover, Table 1 includes intentional double counting due to the inclusion of secondary waste generation from waste treatment activities.
8. Tables 1 and 2 comprise data from all waste management facilities and waste brokers that are permitted by ERA to operate in this sector. Comprehensive lists of these entities can be found on the ERA website as follows:
Waste management facilities
Quarries permitted to accept inert waste
Waste brokers
9. In Table 2, Recovery – Recycling taking place in Malta mainly comprises inert mineral waste. Other materials generally need to be exported for recycling because of the lack of recycling facilities in Malta.
10. Waste generation and treatment data include estimates that are worked out by the NSO for the non-response of inert mineral waste treatment facilities and for mineral waste that is generated by softstone quarrying. The latter is estimated at 30 per cent of the total volume of quarried material.
11. Definitions:
● Inert mineral waste managed in quarry sites: Waste which mainly consists of stones, concrete, bricks, tiles and ceramics from construction and demolition. It also includes clean geological material from excavation works.
● Dredging spoils: Mineral waste that originates from port maintenance activities and is made up of sediments excavated from the seabed.
● Bring-in sites: Collection depots for clean source-segregated recyclable materials. Four types of materials are collected: glass, metals, plastic and paper/cardboard.
● Civic amenity sites: Collection depots for the separate disposal of household bulky waste and recyclables. Up to 2022, there were six sites operated by WasteServ Malta Ltd.
● Door-to-door green/grey bag collection: Collection of mixed paper, metals and plastics from households on pre-determined weekdays that has been taking place since 2011. Waste which is collected in this manner is sorted by material type in waste treatment facilities.
● Door-to-door glass waste collection: Collection of glass waste from households usually held once or twice a month and that has been taking place since 2014.
● Door-to-door organic waste collection: Collection of organic waste from households on pre-determined weekdays. This collection started as a pilot project covering a limited number of localities in 2015 and was extended nation-wide as from the 31st October 2018.
● Recovery: Any operation the principal result of which is waste serving a useful purpose by replacing other materials which would otherwise have been used to fulfil a particular function, or waste being prepared to fulfil that function, in the plant or in the wider economy.
● Recycling: A subset of recovery and means any recovery operation by which waste materials are reprocessed into products, materials, or substances whether for the original or other purposes. It includes the reprocessing of organic material (e.g. composting, anaerobic digestion, etc.) but excludes the use as fuels and the use for backfilling operations.
● Backfilling: A recovery operation where waste is used in excavated areas (such as underground mines, gravel pits) for the purpose of slope reclamation or safety or for engineering purposes in landscaping and where the waste is substituting other non-waste materials which would have had to be used for the purpose.
● Energy recovery: A recovery operation that takes place whenever both the conditions and energy efficiency thresholds which are provided in the ‘Guidelines on the energy efficiency formula for incineration facilities’ related to the Waste Framework Directive are met.
● Disposal: Any operation which is not recovery even where the operation has as a secondary consequence the reclamation of substances or energy.
● Landfilling: The deposit of waste on landfills within the meaning of Directive 1999/31/EC on the landfill of waste. This includes landfills for inert waste, non-hazardous waste and hazardous waste above ground and landfills for the underground storage of waste.
● Incineration: A disposal operation where the main purpose of the incineration is the thermal treatment of waste in order to reduce the volume and the hazardousness of the waste, and to obtain an inert product that can be disposed of.
● Other disposal: Operations such as land treatment, deep injection, impoundment of waste and the release of waste into water bodies. These disposal methods can be used only for a limited range of waste types. In Malta, these operations are limited to disposal at sea at the official spoil ground located off the Grand Harbour area.
● Pre-treatment: Preparatory waste treatment operations that are necessary before final treatment (both for recovery and disposal) can take place. In Malta, these treatments comprise essentially waste sorting and mechanical-biological treatment.
12. More information relating to this news release may be accessed at:
Sources and methods
Statistical concepts
Metadata
Classification: List of recovery and disposal operations (Annex I and Annex II of Directive 2008/98/EC)
13. Statistics in this news release should be interpreted in the context of the COVID-19 situation.
14. References to this news release are to be cited appropriately. For guidance on access and re-use of data please visit our dedicated webpage.
15. A detailed news release calendar is available online.
16. For further assistance send you query through our online request form.
Solid Waste Management: 2022
- During 2022, the total amount of generated waste amounted to 2.6 million tonnes and increased by 4.4 per cent over 2021.
- Hazardous waste generation amounted to 45,377 tonnes and increased by 6.1 per cent over 2021.
- Waste treatment reached a total of 2.5 million tonnes, increasing by 6.1 per cent over 2021.
- In 2022 recycling taking place in facilities located both in Malta and abroad increased by 17.8 per cent (209,679 tonnes) and 16.3 per cent (16,261 tonnes) respectively.
- Decreases were noted for the collection of separated waste from Civic Amenity Sites (10.9 per cent or 4,188 tonnes), bring-in sites (7.3 per cent or 265 tonnes), the collection of the organic waste bag (11.5 per cent or 2,678 tonnes) and the grey/green bag (1.5 per cent or 422 tonnes). On the other hand, glass collection increased by 0.9 per cent (30 tonnes).
