The Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) welcomes the significant progress in recycling efforts across Malta in 2023, highlighting positive trends in sustainability and resource recovery.

Data issued by the National Statistics Office shows significant progress in waste treatment and recycling. A total of 2.6 million tonnes of waste were treated, representing a 3.1% increase from 2022. Recycling efforts have been particularly encouraging in facilities located in Malta and abroad with an increase of 7.8% and 12.6%, respectively. Whilst the highest increases were noted for waste from construction and demolition, the most notable decreases came from household waste. The NSO data shows that a nearly 10% reduction in waste from households was registered.

“This is an encouraging sign of how the public is increasingly adopting waste-reduction and proper waste separation practices,” ERA CEO Kevin Mercieca said.

Over 41,000 tonnes of waste were disposed of in 2023 through the civic amenity sites —an increase from the 34,000 tonnes collected in the previous year.

Malta is implementing the Long-Term Waste Management Plan 2021-2030, the key objectives of which include waste reduction, the upgrading of waste management infrastructure, and enhancing recycling while reducing landfill dependency.

In 2023, Malta introduced mandatory waste separation and a unified collection schedule and established differentiated gate fees – all measures which incentivise waste separation and treatment options.

The NSO data also shows that Malta generated nearly 2.9 million tonnes of waste in 2023. This is an improvement compared to the 3.6 million tonne mark recorded in 2019 and 2020.

A key area of focus continues to be construction waste, which accounted for nearly 2.2 million tonnes in 2023. 68% of the material was recycled and 31% was used for backfilling. This marks a yet another significant improvement on recycling over recovery when compared to 2019, where 33% of the material was recycled and 66% was used for backfilling.

In line with the Construction and Demolition Waste Strategy covering 2021-2030, ERA has introduced a new regulatory framework for the management of construction and demolition waste which entered into force by end of 2023. This framework emphasises on waste reduction, proper management, waste separation, the development of secondary markets, and increased recycling efforts for construction and demolition waste.

“With the continued development of waste treatment and recycling infrastructure and the growing participation of citizens in proper waste disposal, Malta is making great strides toward creating a more sustainable and circular economy,” Mr Mercieca concluded.

19 February 2025