Waste Management Working Party

B.I.C.C. - Technical Report

Executive Summary

“Preventing and managing waste is at the heart of sustainable

development. Waste means unnecessary depletion of natural resources,
unnecessary costs and environmental damage that could be avoided.
Sustainable waste management is about using resources more efficiently.”

Francis Zammit Dimech,

In his launch of “A Solid Waste Management Strategy for the Maltese Islands” in
October 2001, the then Minister for the Environment highlighted that lack of control and
improper management of waste can have serious adverse effects on health, and the
quality of life through environmental damage, all having a rippling effect on the
economy. Sustainable waste management s not only about using available resources more
efficiently, but moreover about addressing these resources to manage such waste.

The MRI is currently coordinating the implementation of the solid waste strategy through
the newly set up WMSIU (Waste Management & Sustainable Issues Unit) under the
Chairmanship of Perit Vince Cassar, Director General, Works Division. The role of the
Unit is to co-ordinate and streamline all inter-ministerial and national efforts towards
sustainable waste management. It also bears responsibility to set out a plan of action
incorporating international waste management principles and conforming to the waste
hierarchy concept: Reduction (through prevention), Reclaim (land and mineral
resources), and Recycle.

This technical report reflects the position of the BICC expressed though its working party
based on the above three pillars (3R’s) as its end goals. It focuses more specifically on
construction and demolition (C&D) waste attempting to identify landfill and marine
based sites for the disposal of clean inert material, alleviating the problems at Maghtab.
Although the Working Party has debated at length the technical aspects of eliminating
completely the Maghtab dump, the report portrays bi-polar opinions on the issue. Its
ultimate aim is to achieve maximum restoration of land.

More specifically, clean excavation waste is the area focused on, for which potential
alternative uses were considered instead of its simple disposal. Issues raised include sea
reclamation, on-site extraction of minerals (limestone blocks), soil improvement, road
building, and specific product contribution among others. In consideration of a marked
increase in demolition waste, stemming from upcoming trends to demolish character
houses in established sites for reuse, the report recommends individual audits of old

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buildings prior to demolition to assess the suitability for re-use and recycling of materials,
pre-selected and sorted at collection depots, prior to the demolition of the fabric. This is
but one of a series of tangible recommendations.

With inert waste from the construction industry it is the waste prevention and reduction
components that are focused on. The recommendations in this report will certainly need
to be viewed in a broader perspective of land use policy, minerals policy, tourism sector,
and education in the background of underlying popularisation through the media.
However these are wider issues that need to be addressed beyond the terms of reference
of this report.

Terms of Reference
The principal aims of the working party are to Reduce, Reclaim, and Recycle. These are
to be achieved through the following broad terms of reference:
1. To undertake a proper evaluation of quarrying and construction waste
quantities and thereafter confirm or re-establish the reduction, reclaiming and
recycling targets for this waste stream;
2. Identify those materials from which specific wastes can be recovered and/or
re-used and/or recycled, and specify their application;
3. Ensure that a regular supply of source segregated feedstock of such waste is
constantly maintained;
4. Provide advice to the Waste Management Services Agency for the setting up
of a facility to receive, store and process such wastes, and produce recycled
products/materials that meet recognised standards and specifications;
5. Encourage and provide means of research into developing and discovering
recycling and recovery of methods and products suitable for local
requirements;
6. Establish the standards and specifications that permit the use of recycled
products and materials in various applications;
7. Establish standards and specifications that permit the disposal of excavated
rock into the sea;
8. Create widespread awareness of recycled building products and materials and
their potential applications.

In this context, the undersigned was briefed to draw up a report as per the following
terms of reference:
ƒ To co-ordinate and direct discussion with respect to stated objectives in the pre-
written document entitled: “ A Solid Waste Management Strategy for the Maltese
Islands”.
ƒ To collect and collate in a technical report comments and feedback from position
papers from members of the working party or the organization they represent.
ƒ To insert the Consultant’s own feedback, findings and views edited in the same
technical report.
ƒ To advise and promote further research on specific subject areas related to the
field of waste management and allied disciplines.

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 ƒ To consult with the Chairman of the BICC such comments and findings in a series
of drafts of the report, prior to co-ordination meetings. The Board of the BICC
bears the onus and ownership of the final report.

Abstract
Waste disposal is inevitably a sensitive issue on an Island with a high population density.
Malta stands at 1.8p/km2, rated as the third dense in the world, according to a
demographic survey held in 1995 and ‘Eurostat’ records, 1999. 1 Population currently
standing at almost 400,000 is also on a steady increase at an average rate of 0.8% per
annum. 2

Land is also a scarce commodity in Malta; apart from population growth there is also a
concern for increase in land use per capita. It has often been lamented that when
considering that we are building up the Island at the rate of ‘one Valletta a year’ in area,
we should therefore seriously consider high-rise buildings and reclamation. The Planning
Authority is currently processing an average of more than 7,000 development
applications per annum. 3

Running parallel to these trends is the increase in consumerism, especially the accent
being placed on disposable goods, of any sort. From any domestic plastic container to a
disposable camera or an irreparable refrigerator, all these end up at the Maghtab dump.
One average family produces approximately 1.5 tonnes of waste per annum. The building
industry alone disposes of more than 1 million tonnes of excavation and construction
waste a year. 4 Construction and Demolition waste alone totals up to 80% by weight of
all the solid waste dumped at Maghtab. This landfill alone received well over 1.0 million
tonnes of inert waste every year until 1998, according to the State of the Environment
Report, and this is ever on the increase, today considered a ‘national tumour’.5

Discussion
The discussion of this report focuses primarily on the aspect of inert waste generated
through construction and demolition works on the Maltese Islands. This is estimated to be
80% by weight of all waste at Maghtab, thus identifying the building industry as the
prime culprit, by far the largest contributing source of all local waste.

Based on the aforementioned three pillars, the working party hereafter (referred to as
WP) deliberated on various issues in the context of land use and waste management in
Malta. Diversified opinions were exchanged, springing from scientific, industrial,
administrative and construction backgrounds, as expected of representatives of various
local entities.

The principal concerns forming the focus of discussion evolved around most of the
following facts and topical issues at this point in time, at the threshold of the millennium:

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¾ Deep Excavation: The cost of land has increased and therefore developers
tend to go deeper when developing a building site such that they maximize their
land value by increasing the usable floor space.

¾ Height Limitation: Another site parameter is height limitation in all areas;

certain activities such as parking and storage are going underground, hence
calling for greater depths of excavation.

¾ Land Resource: In fact in most cases land speculation for development

would not be perceived as not having a basement, especially considering the cost
of land and planning processing fees to be redeemed from the business venture.

¾ Excavation Equipment & Building Technology: These have developed to the

extent that it is much easier to excavate than in earlier generations with relatively
primitive excavation techniques (bl-ispnar u l-baqqun) or manual pneumatic
jackhammer. Work is done faster and with much less strenuous effort. Modern
excavation technology facilitates more accurate excavation of a site with smarter
trimming gear, thus encouraging deeper and cost-effective excavation.

¾ Market Forces: Excavation companies have increased in Malta with

companies specializing more on trenching and trimming equipment, making
heavy investments in this field. The need for diversification by leading contractors
– originally exclusively building contractors – may possibly be attributed to a
slack in the construction industry over the last few years.

¾ Competition & Diversification: This brought with it the increase of a greater

choice of equipment and contractors, opening up market competition, thus making
excavation costs per cubic metre cheaper than land area purchased per square
metre. This is deemed to partly compensate for the exuberant cost of land and
associated fees to develop it with a marginal profit.

¾ Official vs Unofficial Dumping: All the above has in turn increased the
problem of building excavation waste currently being sent mainly to the Maghtab
dump, or occasionally to official (or unofficial) private dumps. The latter
sometimes overcharge thus further promoting the majority of dumping at
Maghtab or illegally. The current dumping fees have only proved to be a minor
disincentive, considered a ‘necessary evil’ by some contractors, especially when
trucks may have to cross the Island for regular deposits.

¾ Demolition of Old Building Stock: The fact that the price of land has increased
and its availability diminishing, there is an ever up and coming trend towards out-
buying old building stock. In general this brings with it a greater volume of
building waste in terms of knocking down the old building, often still followed by
deep site excavations. Therefore if the present trend persists the overall proportion
of C&D waste may become higher for the demolition and excavation process than
at present, further outweighing all other forms of waste.

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 ¾ Refurbishment of Character Houses: Although the knocking down and re-
use of an established building site calls for a greater concern of waste generation,
this is partly offset by the growing romanticism for refurbishing old building
stock. There is evidently a trend to refurbish, re-use and re-inhabit a building
through a ‘conversion’. This is particularly popular at a domestic level, with
mature families, now also spreading into commercial areas and municipal or
government buildings.

¾ Policies and Guidelines: The trend for refurbishment has the benefit of not
only cutting down on demolition and excavation waste but also reducing the
embodied energy of a retrofitted building. More heritage buildings may need to be
classified as per established listing norms worldwide. Such a positive trend is
partly attributed to MEPA policies restricting certain village core development.
MEPA receives regular claims that there is a lack of available land available for
development. Since the existing development schemes date back to 1988 there is
an ongoing discussion whether more land should be opened up for development.
However according to the letest population census2, over 20% of local housing
stock is vacant. This is attributed to obsolete rent laws and disputes between heirs.

¾ Beyond Maghtab: In conjunction with scarcity of land available for

development, there emerges a parallel problem of space available for increasing
the number of refuse dumps. Considering Maghtab dump, along Malta’s longest
panoramic road, linking two tourist hubs of Paceville and Bugibba, we are today
becoming more overwhelmed with the volume rather than just the land area it
occupies. This is therefore a multi-faceted three-dimensional problem, growing
daily not only in physical dimensions, but today also bearing aesthetic, health and
tourism concerns under the global environmental issue of sustainability.

After several meetings and deliberation the following were the broad proposals made by
the respective members. The salient highlights are later extracted as more specific
practical recommendations, classified under the same sub-headings, listing also the
respective key player and the target date for action.

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1.0 RESEARCH

1.1 Eco-systems
A general technical opinion was expressed highlighting the potential damage to marine
eco-systems and marine life if the option for waste disposal at sea was to be seriously
considered.

A different view was also expressed diminishing concern over damage to the marine eco-
systems. A case in point was mentioned of River Gagnano, south of Rome – a case of a
revived seabed: the marine eco-cycle was actually revamped through such dumping as
the new material and selected debris harboured new life in this particular location (this
case is well documented in the respective disciplines).

It was finally concluded that site-specific research would need to be carried out before
establishing the type and quality of marine life that may be affected. An EIA would need
to be carried out on a case-by case basis as per standard procedures released by MEPA.
This will encompass research in allied fields to envisage long-term effects.

1.2 Further Research

This report recommends further research in specialised areas such as marine bio-cycles
and coastal eco-systems before any final decisions are made towards offshore or coastal
reclamation policies. Such studies have to be more site-specific reviewed against
backgrounds of global extinction patterns and bio-diversity trends. Any ideas or
recommendations in this report are therefore not exhaustive.

• End goal: to undertake a deeper evaluation of quantities and establish a reduction

strategy, based on a holistic waste management policy.
• Continuous collection of data (possibly including type of waste).
• Decisions will then be taken to decide what to do with the existing building waste.

Established relevant studies exist carried out by competent Maltese specialists. It is

hereby suggested by the WP in some instances further investigations need to be carried
out before commissioning fresh surveys and research. Such work includes:
‰ State of the Environment Report
‰ A National Energy Policy – Part1: The Framework Document
‰ Strategic Action Plan for Renewable Energy Sources - MRA
‰ New Building Regulations for Malta:
Initial drafts already incorporated a section on Energy Efficiency – what should follow is
a section on embodied energy of building materials. This represents their energy content
or more explicitly the aggregate energy consumed to produce, transport and erect on site.
Guidelines should be laid out to enable the architect to opt for materials, which have a
high potential for re-cycling. This will in turn not only reduce waste but will eventually
cut down on the embodied energy of a refurbishment of a particular building. It is also
being recommended by the undersigned that the energy content of clean inert waste be
investigated and quantified.

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It would also be pertinent to consider setting up a dynamic flow chart. This involves the
design of a tailored software package fed and updated whenever a development
application is filed with the MEPA. Since a site plan is always available, the closest
dumping site is identified and pre-selection of waste takes place at the respective depot,
prior to dumping. [ex/ distinction to be made between demolished building waste and
excavated material].

2.0 CAPACITY BUILDING

2.1 Waste Screening

It was felt important to place an emphasis on waste screening prior to processing. The
highlights of the discussions include:
¾ Select all inert waste under material categories such as stone, debris, timber,
aluminium, steel, glass, tiles, carpeting and other finishes
¾ Demolition waste: screening to take place at selected 3+1 depots (North, South,
and West of Malta, and one in Gozo).
¾ Promote the idea of private enterprise with potential initiatives taken up through
PPP schemes in order to isolate such waste.
¾ Introduce a clause in building regulations to (possibly) oblige this selection at an
early stage of development prior to demolition. This could also be a clause in the
issue on the building permit.

Other capacity building measures are highlighted in the tabulated list of

recommendations attached herewith.

3.0 MARINE DISPOSAL

3.1 Inert Waste Disposal at Sea

As outlined earlier this topic attracted long discussions on whether to dump or not to
dump at sea. Opposing schools of thought were raised from members of academia
and industrialists. The MEPA has also presented its position paper on waste disposal
at sea, contents of which have been noted and included in this report. Its salient points
made include:
• The frequency of dumping is highly important as this does not permit gradual
settlement of particulates.
• The extent of exposure to pollutant substances is equally important as this
may endanger marine life, if present.
• The immediate impacts include increased turbidity of the water column,
obliteration of the seabed environment and smothering of marine habitats.
• The MEPA recognises that while dumping at sea may be resorted to as a
temporary solution (temporarily permanent attitude), hazardous waste may

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 still find its way mingled with inert material. Therefore a serious monitoring
and enforcement system needs to be devised.
• MEPA only accepts inert waste originating from C&D activities for dumping
at sea. If dubious material is encountered, this will have to be pre-treated.
• Municipal solid waste is to be completely excluded from such new practices.
• Dumping at sea shall only be permitted in official dumpsites, which will also
require planning permission from the same Authority. An EIA will be
required.
• When considering the reclamation of Maghtab, both in terms of land and its
voluminous waste, the MEPA strongly objects, as do most members of the
WP that the existing waste is transported from Maghtab to other prescribed
landfills. Since inert waste at Maghtab is almost inseparable from all other
waste, this will only aggravate environmental problems by way of emissions
of odours from the organic fermentation of moved waste.

Standing legislation, not listed here, will need to be reviewed separately in detail.

Other options for the following should also be seriously considered:

¾ Use of specially designed barges to dispose of inert excavation material out at sea,
at pre-selected locations. New sites apart from already established official ones
are to be congruent and streamlined with national programmes and policies.

¾ To include strict supervision followed by strict monitoring and sampling. [Recent

and currently active sites include: Tigne, Hilton, Excelsior – long-term
consequences are still unknown]. A ‘best practice’ example is needed here.

¾ Gozo is not such a major problem since geologically it is composed of a clay

substrate. C&D waste in Gozo is much less than that in Malta to date.

¾ Use of concrete caissons (sealed) and dumped at sea to create artificial islands
[e.g.: sea terminals at Cirkewwa, Malta and Mgarr, Gozo].

¾ Deep-sea studies and waste analysis are needed to understand and reduce the
effects of murky waters on marine and coastal plant life.

¾ Potential use of artificial islands as sub-base for offshore wind turbines or other
marine berthing facilities: therefore careful planning is needed for their strategic
location and stratified marine engineering

¾ Location for wind turbines may partially solve land location problems in its own
right as well as noise abatement issues – generates off-shore energy, yet close
enough to avoid cable connection problems: option could be to either have a grid-
connected system or a stand alone system delivering power supply to coastal
development or rural communities. These options need further investigations.

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4.0 LAND RECLAMATION

4.1 Landfill Depots

From the above discussion, due to the overloading at the Maghtab landfill site, the WP
feels it is appropriate to propose alternative landfill sites as redistribution depots. Four
sites are being proposed at this stage. These may be need to be reviewed in conjunction
with other site parameters, not deliberated in the process of drawing up this report. A call
for an expression of interest will need to be issued in due course to avoid impartiality.

A preliminary list of selected sites includes:

1. Santu Rokku, north of Xghajra, l/o Zabbar [N 39, E 59]

2. Tal-Fieres, west of Kirkop, l/o Mqabba [N35, E 14]
3. Ta’ Sarraflu, west of Santa Lucija, Gozo [N36, E12] – still operational.
4. Torri Folka, north of Mtarfa, l/o Mgarr, Malta [N35, E16].

These are schematically indicated in the attached plan for the Maltese Islands.

5.0 ON-SITE RE-USE

5.1 Waste Reclamation

On this topic, reference was made to Table 15, p.94 of the Solid Waste Management
Strategy Report.6 At a glance this seems practically impossible to absorb the present
waste at Maghtab to other sites by 2004. The quoted figures may need to be better
justified by other means, unknown to the WP. Subsequently a query was raised: Are three
depots enough? These are to be distinguished as independent from waste separation. It
was still unclear during meetings as to whether the sites and envisaged volume to be
handled was to be recommended by the WP. The undersigned suggests that further
investigations and guidelines in this direction are needed from the competent authorities.
These were not possible within the time available for the drawing up of this report. Also
it goes beyond the terms of reference of the BICC’S working party at this stage.

Marketing in the form of a publicity campaign is needed to promote the idea of selecting
waste at source.

Other allied proposals being made for on –site re-use or tandem sites include:
¾ Consider the production of lime and gypsum for local use and export
¾ Production of tetra pods for local use (sea terminals and marinas) and possibly for
export to international marine specifications using selected crushed ‘Franka’ stone
and sand, graded accordingly
¾ Creation of underwater breakwaters to create sandy beaches
¾ Artificial smaller sized building blocks on a large-scale production not heavier
than 20kgs. Weight and size should encourage its greater use and versatility.

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 ¾ Exploit and enhance local demand for old building stone in the refurbishment of
houses of character and listed buildings.

All these need further investigations for their location and feasibility.

6.0 PLANNING & ENFORCEMENT

6.1 Enforcement and Management

This classifies under Capacity Building and is dealt separately under this subject heading
in the tabulated list of recommendations.

6.2 Contribution to the Building Industry

This is the last category of recommendations, as illustrated in the tabulated list. Although
possibly non-exhaustive at this stage, however the following salient ideas are worth
recording, stemming from the ensuing discussions:

For the re-use of demolition material:

¾ The use of credit notes is suggested as a fiscal incentive for contractors, combined
with the use of reasonably simple documentation – 1 chit that does it all

¾ Licensed carriers abiding by speed and road safety regulations, borrowing ideas
from international standards: stickers at the back of trucks can read: “if this
vehicle is badly driven please call …or report to …”. These are standard
international regulations that go a long way ahead of Maltese legislation to date.

¾ Introduce proper selective carriers for soil and hazardous waste as necessary.

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Recommendations

Based on the above general classified proposals the following set of practical
recommendations were extracted:

Conclusion

Most of the recommendations made focused specifically on practical guidelines for

action, applying the three R’s strategy to waste management, with an emphasis on the
impact of C&D waste and its long-term impact on the building construction industry at
large.

This strategy should also encompass the maximisation of land restoration, control
exploitation of mineral resources and carrying out audits of land suitability as an ongoing
process undertaken by the newly revamped MEPA. These principles should be
underlying all policies related to land development and waste management in general in
line with the global environmental concern towards sustainable development.

The ultimate goal of the general proposals and specific recommendations expressed in
this report by the BICC Working Party is to promote a change in mentality in waste
management at all levels. The one dominant underlying objective was to curtail the
exploitation of Malta’s limited natural resources, the depletion of which is already being
felt in health, aesthetic quality and tourism. This will in turn reflect in the quality of life
of Maltese citizens and the economic growth of the country.

This is but one note to the tune of sustainable development.

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Summary
These recommendations summarise the advice of the working party through this report. Concerted action is proposed according to a
priority list under the respective areas, as highlighted in the report under the various headings, namely Research, Capacity Building,
Marine Disposal, Land Reclamation, On-Site re-use and Planning & Enforcement.
In general the principal stakeholder is the newly set-up MWMSA, including its WMSIU, with the latter have a major role in
implementing the recommended action, unless otherwise stated.
All recommendations have the end goal in focus, namely the 3-R’s principle, Reduce, Re-use & Reclaim.
Key Players’ Abbreviations:
BICC – Building Industry Consultative Council MEPA - Malta Environment & Planning Authority
MWMSA - Malta Waste Management Services Agency LCs - Local Councils
WMSIU - Waste Management & Sustainable Issues Unit (in effect MRI, Works) FOI – Federation of Industry
MRI – Ministry of Resources and Infrastructure MRA - Maltese Resources Authority

Ref. Recommendation Key Player ACTION

Target date
RESEARCH
RS 01 ƒ Stimulate research by local/foreign experts in limestone & allied fields. BICC/UNIVERSITY Started.
Ongoing
RS 02 ƒ Issue research call for the re-use of limestone beyond the building industry. BICC/UNIVERSITY Funding.
October 2002
RS 03 ƒ Investigate potential for export of inert material. BICC/FOI Seek foreign
interest.
December 2002
RS 04 ƒ Encourage University, BICC & private sector to undertake research in recycling of BICC/UNIVERSITY Student
building materials. Areas for further study include: Sponsorship
o Recycling of coloured glass in terrazzo tiles. October 2002
o Re-use of crushed limestone with an adhesive and admixtures for use as a
cladding material (old & new buildings), including studies on its potential for
thermal insulation and load-bearing capacity.
o Re-use of crushed concrete for a similar purposes.
RS 05 ƒ Identify which are the components of local inert material and formulate specifications UNIVERSITY/MSA Research Funding
October 2002

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 for their re-use for different applications

CAPACITY BUILDING
CB 01 ƒ Set up a new Govt Agency/Unit to promote curtailment of inert waste. MWMSA – Agency & Unit
designated set up.
December 2002
CB 02 ƒ Encourage a new breed of contractors specialised in building waste collection. BICC/FOI Tender Calls
December 2003
CB 03 ƒ Set up C&D Depots: a system of collection, storage and re-use of construction waste . MWMSA/WMSIU Sites/Logistics
June 2003
CB 04 ƒ The further revision of the current Rent Laws is encouraged to promote the re-use and BICC/MRI/FOI Set up workgroup
refurbishment of old building stock as opposed to new build: Chamber of
o Set up a separate WG within BICC, with such specific TOR. Architects/ July 2002
o Liase with other interested parties & NGOs Chamber of Lawyers
CB 05 ƒ Introduce Tax Credit system for minimising waste from a refurbishment project. BICC/MRI/ Budget Measure
Ministry of Finance November 2003
CB 06 ƒ Introduce Fiscal Measures to curb excess waste production from a building site. BICC/MRI/ Budget Measure
Ministry of Finance November 2003

MARINE DISPOSAL
MD 01 ƒ Refine and harmonise standing legislation regulating dumping at sea (& in approved
quarries).
MD 02 ƒ Identify new marine sites, subject to an individual site-by-site EIA

LAND RECLAMATION
LR 01 ƒ Promote strictly controlled land reclamation and offshore disposal at sea within a MEPA/MRI/ Planning &
holistic approach for the Maltese Islands (subject to further research studies and an UNIVERSITY Enforcement
EIA on project by project basis). June 2003

ON-SITE RE-USE
OS 01 ƒ Before demolition or dismantling of building elements, re-usable components are to be MWMSA/WMSIU Set up Depots
sold as intact on site, as typically occurs with old rustic stone buildings for re-use. June 2003

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 Ideally building components (stone slabs, timber beams, etc) and fixed elements (doors
and windows) should be removed and transported by the same purchaser, thus ensuring
careful dismantling and cutting down on double handling. This should reduce costs,
apart from reducing building waste.
OS 02 ƒ Sorting at source should be encouraged; this does not only cuts down costs but also BICC/ MWMSA Set up Depots
reduces double handling and transport fuel and emissions. June 2003
OS 03 ƒ Use of in-situ equipment to cut large/small scale building blocks to be used on same site or BICC/MEPA/ Geological
neighbouring sites, thus cutting waste disposed, fuel emissions and overall project costs MWMSA/WMSIU/ surveys
(subject to geological survey & EIA/TIS). MRA December 2002

PLANNING & ENFORCEMENT

PE 01 ƒ Orientate Govt. tenders in favour of recycling C&D waste. MWMSA/MRI Specifications.
June 2003
PE 02 ƒ Ensure professional enforcement and self-policing systems. MEPA Enforcement.
December 2003
PE 03 ƒ Promote long-term forward planning to reduce construction waste in general. MEPA/MWMSA Plan/Implement
June 2003
PE 04 ƒ Introduce controlled dumping of inert waste in new/established disused quarries in not MWMSA/MEPA Sites/Logistics
more than 4 sites (3 in Malta,1 in Gozo) to ensure controlled monitoring (subject to December 2003
EIA)
PE 05 ƒ Promote improved QS schemes for large-scale projects to minimise materials’ waste MRI/BICC/WMSIU Specifications
on orders for large projects. June 2003
PE 06 ƒ Consider increased height limitations for commercial development for selected areas. MEPA/BICC/FOI Amend Schemes

PE 07 ƒ Initiate a process with Local Councils to curb illegal dumping on undeveloped land by MEPA/LCs Enforcement
third parties and apply hefty fines.
June 2003
PE 08 ƒ Use of inert material for tetra pods for breakwaters or offshore islands. One Pilot BICC/WMSIU/MRI Specifications
Project Identified - Cirkewwa Breakwater: -URGENT-
o It is proposed that instead of the use of mass concrete, soft limestone waste is
used. This may be graded and laid in the concrete carcass structure, eventually July 2002
placed in the seabed as breakwater abatements.

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 ƒ If rectangular in shape the concrete caissons may be built as a coffered dam. The
containing concrete structure should be sealed tight to avoid turbidity and murky
waters.
PE 09 ƒ Prior to demolition of existing buildings site inspections are to be carried out to MEPA/WMSIU Inspections
identify separation of materials at source June 2003
PE 10 ƒ Re-Use of Quarries: Although the inclination has always been to reinstate a disused MRA/MEPA/BICC Planning,
quarry with building waste, there are several other options available. These include: Enforcement,
o Recharge of the water table by using the massive bare rock surface area as a Specifications &
natural slow dilation into the underground aquifer. Most quarries already have Monitoring
natural open fissures as inclined or horizontal bedding planes.
June 2003
o Use for the collection of storm water run off and as large scale back up
reservoirs
o Use as a sorting depot including the storage of different materials for re-use.
This has to be restricted to inert materials in order to avoid any contamination
of the water table
o Use as a permanent landfill for the disposal of clean C&D waste, screened for
illicit mixing with other domestic waste. This requires an EIA: a careful study
of its impact on the water table and rock porosity should be pre-determined.
Such material should be packed appropriately to prevent land subsidence.
Problems of infiltration and flooding should be addressed at first instance as
these could result in unconsolidated substrate, healthy and safety problems
associated with unwarranted breeding insects and micro-organisms.
PE 11 ƒ Reduce currently active dumping sites (16no.) in order to enable stricter and more MEPA/MRI Planning &
effective control and enforcement. Enforcement
Ongoing
PE 12 ƒ Educational programmes to be started and reinforced through school projects. Ministry of Education Marketing
October 2002
PE 13 Popularisation and awareness through the local media. BICC/MEPA/MRI March 2003
PE 14 ƒ Ensure a continuous monitoring and iterative process of all the above recommendations. BICC/WMSIU/MRI Ongoing

TOTAL: 31 RECOMMENDATIONS

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1
References:
1
Eurostat 1999 – EU Publication: Overview of statistical records based on data
collection from respective member/candidate states, Brussels, 1999.
2
Population Census, Centre Office of Statistics, Govt. of Malta, 1995.
3
Planning Authority, Malta, Annual Report, 2000.
4
Media Publication, Ministry for Resources and the Infrastructure, Works
Division, Floriana, 2002.
5
State of the Environment Report, MCST, 1998.

Solid Waste Management Strategy for the Maltese Islands, Ministry for The
Environment, October 2001.

Dr. Vince Buhagiar A&CE

15 June 2002