Intimidation and heavy-handed tactics have no place in a civil society

Last September, Wasteserv Malta Limited, unilaterally decided that penalties would be imposed on whoever delivered contaminated glass to its facilities. This meant that empty glass bottles and jars placed in cardboard boxes, plastic or paper bags could no longer be collected together and had to be separated prior to collection. Consumers are the best positioned to make such separation as doing it later in the process is both costly and reduces the quality.

GreenPak Cooperative and Green MT Limited are responsible to organise and finance the door-to-door collections of empty glass containers. Licensed waste collectors are then engaged to deliver the glass to either of two facilities owned by the Government of Malta, it being the sole owner of Wasteserv Malta Limited.

Moving in the opposite direction and abandoning all efforts made

Dictating what actions need taking, deciding who to push and punishing waste collectors for the failures of others is not conducive of positive improvements and is destined to destroy all that has been painstakingly built over the years.

Long proclaimed to be “the operator of last resort”, Wasteserv maintained that its duty was to provide solutions which others could not provide. Judging by recent events, Wasteserv has abandoned this mantra. Instead, the government-owned company is using its dominant position to force all other actors into paying for its historical failures. From an “operator of last resort”, Wasteserv now sees itself as judge, jury, and executioner.

The National Audit Office warns us!

With the Government allocating around €500 million to extend and upgrade Malta’s waste treatment facilities, it must take heed to the National Audit Office’s warning of last February. The NOA stated that such an investment will not deliver its full potential unless it is complemented …. through a consorted effort by all stakeholders, including political, administrative, the industry and consumers, as well as an effort to reduce its [waste] production at the outset.”

GreenPak Cooperative for one, believes in cooperation, open dialogue and burden sharing. Intimidation and heavy-handed tactics have no place in a civil society.