Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1543288
8 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 15 FEBRUARY 2026 NEWS Machines helped collect 283 million plastic bottles in 2025 IN 2021, Malta was among the EU's worst countries when it comes to recycling. Four years later, Malta would recycle 283 million plastic bottles in one year alone, and all it took was a refund of 10c per bottle to the re- cycler. Responding to a parliamentary question by PN MP Ian Vassallo, Environment Min- ister Miriam Dalli said that 2025 saw the recycling of 283 million plastic bottles un- der the Beverage Container Refund Scheme (BCRS). According to BCRS, the rate of bottle col- lection has risen to 85%, up from 81% in 2024. Meanwhile, the rate of voucher re- demption has surpassed the 98% mark. The milestone is the latest in what has been the most effective recycling incentive on the islands. By June 2023, less than one year since the scheme's launch consumers had successfully deposited 100 million bev- erage containers using the BCRS, increas- ing throughout the following months. As many users expressed some degree of frustration at the new chore of recycling their plastic bottles, BCRS eventually rolled out high-capacity machine depots at var- ious locations that can take 9,000 plastic containers, allowing consumers the con- venience of depositing their plastic bottles all at once. The scheme has also seen other tweaks to the system. The Cleansing and Main- tenance Division now visits localities with a high volume of collections and collects containers directly from people's homes, using mobile recycling machines. This is currently being done in 32 locali- ties and is available to people over 60 years old and Blue Badge holders. According to Dalli, government plans to extend this service to every locality by the end of 2026. The BCRS machines collect plastic bot- tles, cans and glass containers of beverages on which a 10c charge is applied at the point of sale. The charge is refunded through a voucher when the bottle is deposited in the collection machines. Malta had a similar refund scheme in the past on glass bottles, when it was illegal to sell soft drinks in plastic containers and cans. However, the ban on plastics and cans had to be lifted after Malta joined the EU since it was deemed a limitation on competition. With plastic bottles and cans being easier to handle, manufacturers gradually phased out the glass bottles, leading to an environ- mental problem. While plastic beverage containers could be recycled through the waste separation system, many still ended up in the wrong waste stream. The BCRS scheme was even- tually concocted to incentivise consumers to return plastic bottles for eventual recy- cling. MATTHEW FARRUGIA mfarrugia@mediatoday.com.mt A 13-storey hotel Vincenti will Visuals highlight how revised design for new Balluta Bay hotel will tower over surrounding streets despite partial preservation of landmark modernist residence DEVELOPER Carlo Stivala has submitted photomontages of a revised proposal for a 13-storey hotel on Palazzina Vincenti in St Julian's that will tower over surrounding buildings. Palazzina Vincenti is a mod- ernist landmark building de- signed by architect Gustavo Romeo Vincenti that is on the promenade overlooking Balluta Bay. The new design features 10 floors of curved balconies ech- oing the modernist building's distinctive cantilevered con- crete balcony. However, the visuals show the proposed structure rising higher and ap- pearing bulkier than surround- ing buildings, dominating views from Balluta Bay as well as nearby residential streets. The original application pre- sented in 2021 proposed the demolition of the modernist building and had sparked strong opposition from Malta's archi- tectural community, with more than 1,000 objections filed. The project encountered a major obstacle in April 2023 when the Planning Authority scheduled a substantial part of the existing palazzo, granting it Grade 2 protection. Two ad- jacent houses, also designed by Vincenti in a restrained modernist style, were likewise scheduled at Grade 2 level, while their interiors were given Grade 3 protection, which does not preclude demolition. Grade 2 scheduling prevents demolition and allows interior alterations only if carried out sensitively and with minimal impact on the building's char- acter. At the time, the Plan- ning Authority warned that the application would need to be "radically modified" to ensure the palazzina was restored "to its original glory." More than two years later, Stivala's revised proposal fore- sees restoration of the Grade 2-protected sections, demoli- tion of parts covered by Grade 3 protection, and the construc- tion of new floors resulting in a 13-storey building overall. The additional floors are separated from the existing building by what appears to be an air space that demarcates the old from the new. Palazzina Vincenti served as the residence of Gustavo Romeo Vincenti, one of Malta's most prominent early-20th-century architects. Although initially associated with Art Nouveau, he designed his own home in a modernist idiom defined by ge- ometric forms, making it one of the earliest and most significant examples of modernist archi- tecture in Malta. In a representation filed in De- cember, architect and heritage advocate Edward Said argued the latest proposal "simply mu- tilates this historic monument," warning that approval would result in the loss of a unique residence designed by a lead- ing architect as his own home. He urged the authority to per- mit only full restoration of the building. Stivala has recently applied to regularise the demolition of the façade of a building in Sliema following the issue of a per- mit for a 15-storey hotel. The façade had a degree of historical and architectural value accord- ing to the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage and should have been retained according to the original permit. New plans for the site pro- pose replacing it with a mod- ern façade while increasing the number of floors from 15 to 17, without exceeding the ap- proved height. JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt