Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/212250
10 News maltatoday, SUNDAY, 17 NOVEMBER 2013 Could you cope with your waste collected over just three days? James Debono SMALL changes in our daily life can make a big difference in reducing the volumes of waste ending up in landfills or facilities which, in a small island like Malta, always end up in somebody's backyard. Kevin Gatt, the coordinator of a new waste management policy that has been issued for public consultation by the environment minister, says reducing waste is a top priority but that this depends on how much society commits to it. His mix of technocratic knowledge and a quasi-evangelical zeal in promoting waste minimisation as a way of life, is evident. "If we set an example of altruism in something as simple as waste management, this will permeate in other aspects of life," Gatt says. One straightforward way of reducing waste is buying the amount of food that is actually required, and serving appropriate portions of food. Food waste itself amounts to 54% of waste produced in households: 21% of the food itself ends up as waste in rubbish bins. As Gatt says, prevention can only work with a "strong message" for lifestyle change. He says rationalising food purchases is a win-win situation: producing less waste, and leaving more money in one's pockets. In 2015, your garbage collector will collect organic waste three times a week and mixed waste once a week. You will have to separate more waste… all for a good cause no doubt. But can you manage it, JAMES DEBONO asks? Gatt says it can only be achieved through more awareness and education. "Waste prevention is not about putting a tax or issuing a permit, but a way of ensuring a commitment towards a common goal." But isn't the new emphasis on frugality at odds with rampant consumerism promoted by the media? "Changing consumption patterns is the most difficult thing to address because we have become used to a certain level of consumerism. That is why it is important to propose win-win situations through which the consumer ends up saving more money and is enticed to do so through the same media, which promotes consumerism," Gatt says. One significant lifestyle change would be to dedicate more of people's limited time to waste separation. Under the new plan, by 2015 the collection of mixed waste will take place only once a week, while the collection of organic waste will take place three times a week. Presently no separate collection exists for organic waste, while the collection of black bags – containing mixed and organic waste – takes place on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. On Tuesday people put out the grey bag for recyclable packaging waste and on Thursday some councils have collections for another waste fraction like glass. Therefore, most people are already accustomed to the collection of grey bags once or twice a week and the collection of the black bag four times a week. But according to Gatt, the fact that people have already learned to distinguish between grey and black bags provides a good foundation for the next step: separating organic waste. "People are already on the first step towards distinguishing between days in which they dispose of certain type of waste and days where they dispose of other kinds of waste." One of the most radical changes is to have mixed waste collected once a week instead of four times a week. How does he expect the public to respond to this change? Gatt is optimistic. "For years we have grown used not to having a waste collection service on Sunday. Therefore for years we have coped with accumulating waste over two days. The introduction of grey bag collection has also made householders accumulate mixed and organic waste over a two day period". But the reduction in the collection of mixed waste will be compensated by the frequent collection of organic waste. The ultimate aim is to have the organic waste accumulate for the efficient operation of two mechanical biological treatment plants where this waste is presently treated. Gatt claims that the amount of "mixed waste" residents will have to store for a whole week would be minimal if "we commit ourselves to maximise separation of waste". But reality shows that presently only 23% of waste is being separated. The target for 2020 is that 50% will be separated. Moreover, some people throw the wrong stuff in the wrong bags. Wouldn't the problem increase with the introduction of new colour-coded bags? "I admit this is a big challenge which requires the exploitation of all forms of media and all forms of spaces to give access to a critical mass of people. We need to reach out to people in situations where we can take the least possible time from