According to the Waste Regulations published by Subsidiary Legislation 549.63, any facility carrying out any waste management operations should be permitted by the Environment & Resources Authority.

To date a number of installations have applied for, and have been issued with, a Permit from ERA.

The scope of such permits is to make sure that certain environmental standards are maintained during the operations of these facilities. The permitted facilities are encouraged to operate in an environmentally sustainable manner. Facilities are also required to report according to the Annual Environmental Report. Only waste that is treated at authorised facilities may be deemed to comply with the environmental laws.

A number of facilities operate in various sectors; with the aim of reducing the volumes of waste, while recycling or reusing different materials. Most of these materials are exported so that they are recycled. The public is urged to make use only of authorised facilities. This will make sure that only properly authorised facilities and competent persons deal with such waste.

Moreover, the disposal of inert waste generated by the construction industry in depleted quarries is regulated under Subsidiary Legislation 549.50 and Subsidiary Legislation 549.63. Prior to this legislation, a number of quarries were permitted for backfilling operations pursuant to Subsidiary Legislation 549.07, whereby clean inert waste is recycled and/or backfilled. The waste that is authorised to enter at these sites is solely restricted to the following:

1. Excavation Waste – Waste that originates from rock excavation. This waste should be free of soil, trees, shrubs or any other agricultural content.

2. Construction & Demolition Waste – Waste that originates from the construction & demolition of structures. This waste is to consist of stone slabs and concrete planks or concrete beams only and should not contain any other waste type such as aluminium, wood or iron apertures, pieces of clothing, furniture, household goods, mattresses or any other waste.

Applications for the operation of Waste Management Facilities may be submitted through the ERIS System which may be accessed from here.

Should you require further information on the permitting of waste management facilities, contact the Environmental Permitting Unit on https://era.org.mt/contact/or Telephone No 2292 3500.

Last Updated: 07/09/2020

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