Letters | Sunday, 08 March 2009

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Incinerator plans proof of failed waste strategy

Government’s plans for an incineration plant in Delimara symbolise a monument to a failed waste management policy, based on an ideology and culture of unsustainable consumption.
Zminijietna – Voice of the Left believes that even though improvements have been made in Malta’s waste management over the past years, Malta is not reaching its targets of sustainability. Not enough effort has been made to reduce unsustainable consumption practices, and in some cases, the current situation is worse than in previous years.
The mass production and consumptaion of plastic bottles, which have all but replaces glass bottles in the soft-drink market, is a case in point. In this case, business interests have prevailed over ecological realities. The influx of millions of bottles is ecologically harmful not only in terms of waste, but also due to the energy and materials used to produce such products, thus effecting climate change.
Government’s plans to build an incinerator confirm that Malta’s current landfill policy will soon be outdated due to lack of available land for such purposes. It is only a change in culture, driven both by the State and civil society, that can change this scenario.
However, such a culture should not be subject to commercial interests which are after short-term profits. Zminijietna sees that there are various doubts on the pollution generated by incinerators, which in itself calls for wide-range public consultation and credibile scientific studies before any decision is made by Government.

David Pisani
Zminijietna - Voice of the Left
Valletta

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