After months being rubbished by residents about the possible bad smells that could emanate from the plant, Minister for Rural Affairs and the Environment George Pullicino finally inaugurated the Material Recovery Facility at Sant’Antnin, with the prayers of the village priest who blessed the plant in front of the posse of photographers and cameramen who covered the event.
The material recovery facility will be processing 36,000 tonnes of recyclable waste each year which are collected from 200 bring-in sites.
As from April, the plant will also be processing separated waste that will be collected from individual residences in a scheme in conjunction with Local Councils that will be launched next Thursday.
Under this scheme, individual residences will be given bags to collect separately organic waste, metal, plastic and paper. Collection of separated waste will take place on Tuesdays in Malta, while no date has been set for Gozo as yet.
There was no discernible odour at the recycling plant, with Pullicino and Wasteserv officials insisting that all the necessary measures have been taken for the plant not to emanate odours.
However organic waste, which is the most susceptible to ferment, will only start being processed at the end of this year when this part of the plant is completed.
Another two waste recycling plants will be built in the North of Malta and in Gozo respectively to cater for the 240,000 tonnes of waste that is produced annually in the Maltese Islands.