The following is a list​ of companies providing noise monitoring services. For further information regarding the services provided, click on the links in the right column.

 

Companies ​Telephone ​Email ​Further Information
​Adi Associates Environmental Consultants Ltd ​21378172/7
99492381
99451455		 ​[email protected] ​Click Here
​AIS Environmental Ltd​ ​21803374 ​[email protected] ​Click Here
​Ecoserv Ltd ​21431900
79431900		 ​[email protected] ​Click Here
​En-Sure Ltd ​21378180
99492381		 ​[email protected] ​Click Here
​Environmental Monitoring Services Ltd ​21247356
79311234		 ​[email protected] ​Click Here
​Ing. Johan A. Psaila & Associates ​21248112
79801088		 ​[email protected] ​Click Here
​Sammut & Associates Co Ltd ​21435082
99468228		 ​[email protected] ​Click Here
​Tektraco Ltd ​21378088 ​[email protected] ​Click Here
​Terracore ​21583241 ​[email protected] ​Click Here
​Sun Lab Group Ltd ​​21381391
79598726		 ​[email protected] ​Click Here

Important: Please read our Disclaimer​. 

Consultancy and Field Surveys to Implement the EU Noise Directive 2002/49/EC in Malta: Implementation of Directive 2002/49/EC in Malta

Consultancy and Field Surveys to Implement the EU Noise Directive 2002/49/EC in Malta: Strategic Noise Mapping in Malta

Consultancy and Field Surveys to Implement the EU Noise Directive 2002/49/EC in Malta: Noise Action Planning in Malta

Noise Action Plan 2013 – Major Roads

Round 3 Reporting Obligations including the Strategic Noise Mapping in Malta Under the Directive 2002/49/EC –  Final Project Report

Round 3 Reporting Obligations including the Strategic Noise Mapping in Malta Under the Directive 2002/49/EC –  Malta International Airport Noise Modelling

Round 3 Strategic Noise Maps Validation Report

Noise Action Plan 2019 – 2024 – Major Roads

Noise Action Plan 2019 – 2024 – Agglomeration

Round 4 Reporting Obligations including the Strategic Noise Mapping in Malta Under the Directive 2002/49/EC –  Final Project Report

End-of-life vehicles (ELVs) generate significant amounts of waste in Malta every year, which need to be managed in an environmentally sound manner. To this end, S.L. 549.36 – the Waste Management (End of Life Vehicles) Regulations as published by Legal Notice 99 of 2004], brings into effect the provisions of Directive 2000/53/EC on end-of life vehicles, which introduces the principle of Extended Producer Responsibility in the management of ELVs.

In line with the ELV Directive, S.L. 549.36 (ELV Regulations) aims at minimising the environmental impacts of ELVs by means of better design of vehicles, increased waste prevention, reuse, recycling and recovery of materials, parts and components arising from dismantling and depollution of ELVs. It also aims at improving the environmental performance of all of the economic operators involved in the life cycle of vehicles and, especially, the operators directly involved in the treatment of ELVs.

In this respect, the ELV Regulations set ambitious reuse/recovery/recycling targets for ELVs and their components and require economic operators to set up new systems or use existing systems for their collection and achieve the said targets.

The ELV Regulations also push producers to place on the market vehicles not containing hazardous substances (i.e. lead, mercury, cadmium and hexavalent chromium), so as to further promote the reuse, recyclability and recoverability of vehicles reaching end-of-life.

Furthermore, the ELV Regulations stipulates that owners and/or holders of ELVs shall transfer such vehicles to authorised treatment facilities [Click Here for the list of ATFs] at no cost and establish specific procedures for vehicle deregistration .

For further information on the procedure to Scrap/De-Register a vehicle [Click Here]

Directive 2008/98/EC on waste (more commonly known as the Waste Framework Directive integrates the notion of End-of-Waste (EoW) by setting out conditions, which materials that fulfil the definition of waste can achieve a non-waste status, and thus fall outside the scope of the waste legislation. Waste shall cease to be waste when it has undergone a recovery operation. The following set of conditions, as laid down in regulation 6 of the Waste Regulations, are to be complied with in order for waste to reach end-of-waste status:

  • The substance or object is commonly used for specific purposes;
  • A market or demand exists for such a substance or object;
  • The substance or object fulfils the technical requirements for the specific purposes and meets the existing legislation and standards applicable to products;
  • The use of the substance or object will not lead to overall adverse environmental or human health impacts; and
  • The substance or object shall be accompanied by a declaration as set out in Schedule 10 of the said Regulations.

Flow chart on End of waste criteria

The European Commission has so far established EoW criteria for the following materials:

 

Further details on End-of-Waste criteria can be found on the European Commission’s website.

Under the Environment Protection Act (Cap 549), the ERA is responsible for collecting, storing, and providing public access to environmental information. As of 1 October 2024, in line with Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No 223/2009, the ERA has been officially designated as an Other National Authority (ONA) for waste-related statistics. In this role, the ERA will oversee the collection, analysis, and reporting of waste-related statistical data in Malta.

To view the Waste Data Dashboards, please click on the link: Dashboards

Relevance

The ERA gathers data on waste generation, collection, and treatment to support the development of strategies, plans, policies, and legislative measures aimed at waste reduction and better treatment. Additionally, this data is used to fulfil Malta’s reporting obligations under various EU legislations and to assess the country’s progress in meeting waste management targets. Below are waste related statistics reported by Malta to both Eurostat and the European Environment Agency (EEA):

Waste Framework Directive (WFD) – Directive 2008/98/EC:

      • Municipal waste generated and prepared for reuse and recycled;
      • Construction and demolition waste generated and recovered;
      • Mineral or synthetic lubrication or industrial oils placed on the market and waste oils generated, collected and treated;
      • Food waste generated during the five stages of the food supply chain; and
      • Amount of textiles, electrical and electronic equipment, furniture and construction material and products reused.

Landfill Directive 1999/31/EC:

      • Municipal waste generated and landfilled; and
      • Bio-degradable municipal waste landfilled.

Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive 94/62/EC:

      • Packaging placed on the market and packaging waste generated and recycled; and
      • Consumption of lightweight plastic carrier bags.

Waste electrical and electronic equipment Directive 2012/19/EU:

      • Electrical and electronic equipment placed on the market and waste electrical and electronic equipment collected, treated, recovered and prepared for reuse and recycled.

Waste batteries and accumulators Directive 2006/66/EC:

      • Sales of portable batteries and waste portable batteries collected and recycling efficiency of waste batteries recycled.

End-of-life Vehicles Directive 2000/53/EC:

      • End-of-life vehicles generated and treated including reuse, recycling and recovered.

Waste Shipment Regulation 2024/1157:

      • Exports and imports of waste and its final treatment.

Sewage sludge Directive 86/278/EEC:

      • Sewage sludge generated and coordinates of application on agricultural land.

Single-use plastic Directive 2019/904/EC:

      • Cups for beverage and food containers placed on the market;
      • Plastic bottles separately collected;
      • Fishing gear containing plastic placed on the market and waste fishing gear containing plastic collected;
      • Recycled content in SUP beverage bottles; and
      • Post consumption waste from filters from tobacco products.

Methodological description

In line with relevant legislation, economic operators, including waste management facilities, waste brokers, Producer Responsibility Organisations and Regional Councils are required to report data to ERA based on their respective permitted activities. Such economic operators are required to report data on templates established by the Authority to ensure data collection is harmonised and comparable across different economic operators, thus allowing the ERA to fulfil Malta’s reporting obligations.

The Authority validates the submitted data to ensure its accuracy and reliability. During this process, ERA may request additional information or clarifications from operators. Once the validation process is complete, ERA uses the data submitted by the economic operators to compile national statistics in line with EU reporting obligations. Additionally, ERA conducts time-series crosschecks to assess Malta’s performance against waste management targets set by EU legislation.

The compilation of certain reports also require data from various sources, including National Statistics Office (NSO), Circular Economy Malta (CEMalta), Transport Malta (TM), Water Services Corporation (WSC) and Department of Customs.

Furthermore, ERA relies on various studies conducted on a periodic basis for the compilation of several reports. These include compositional analyses of different waste streams, as well as surveys targeting households and other economic operators.

Accuracy and reliability of data

The ERA conducts a thorough verification and validation process on the data submitted by all economic operators. This process involves checking for implausible values, identifying inconsistencies across different reporting years, detecting missing data, and flagging discrepancies between facilities. When anomalies or issues are found, ERA contacts the respective data providers to request clarification, corrections, or confirmation of the figures submitted. These quality control procedures play a critical role in ensuring the accuracy, consistency, and reliability of national waste statistics, thereby supporting effective monitoring, reporting, and policy-making.

Timeliness and punctuality of data

The data for the abovementioned reports is transmitted to Eurostat or the EEA within 18 months after the end of the reference year.

At a national level, annual data on packaging waste, waste electrical and electronic equipment and waste batteries is published on ERA’s website within 23 months after the end of the reference year, in line with the schedule set out in the Advance Release Calendar.

Accessibility and clarity of data

Accessibility and clarity of data are essential principles that ensure information is both usable and understandable by a wide range of stakeholders. Published data is accessible on ERA’s website. Furthermore, each statistical report is accompanied by a quality report. This report provides an overview of the main sources, methodologies and main assumptions used to calculate the reported figures. A metadata report is compiled and made available on ERA’s website. The metadata reports provide detailed information about the reported dataset, enabling users to understand its structure, content, origin, and appropriate use.

Advanced Release Calendar

Upcoming publication of data

DateWaste StreamDescription of publicationRevisionsNewly added
27/11/2026Packaging wastePublication of data related to packaging waste generated and recycledn/aData for reference year 2024
27/11/2026WEEEPublication of data related EEE placed on the market and WEEE collected and treatedn/aData for reference year 2024
27/11/2026Waste batteriesPublication of data related to the sales of portable batteries and waste portable batteries collectedn/aData for reference year 2024

In addition to the above, the NSO issues annual news releases on the Management of Solid Waste and on the Management of Municipal Waste in Malta. These releases are accessible via the following link.

 

 

 

Waste-to-energy is a broad term that covers waste incineration and other waste treatment processes which generate energy, for example through generating electricity or heat, or produce a waste-derived fuel. Each waste-to-energy process has different environmental impacts and circular economy potential.

The Industrial Emissions Directive (2010/75/EU) is the main EU instrument regulating pollutant emissions from industrial installations, including waste-to-energy installations. The Industrial Emissions (Framework) Regulations (S.L.549.76) and the Industrial Emissions (Waste Incineration) Regulations (S.L.549.81) transpose part of the measures of the Directive at a national level. For further information on IPPC installations,

Image showing examples of waste to energy processes

Waste-to-energy processes incorporate different waste treatment operations, which range from ‘disposal’ and ‘recovery’ to ‘recycling’. The most common waste-to-energy process is waste incineration. Incineration of waste, as identified in the figure above, may include energy recovery or otherwise. Schedule 2 of the Waste Regulations (S.L.549.63) provides conditions and energy efficiency thresholds, which are to be used to classify a waste incineration facility as being either a recovery or a disposal operation.

Documents related to the abovementioned process can be found here.

 

Disposal at sea is regulated through the following international and regional instruments:

  • The 1972 Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter known as the London Convention;
  • The 1996 Protocol to the London Convention known as the London Protocol;
  • The 1976 Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea Against Pollution known as the Barcelona Convention, amended in 1995; and
  • The 1976 Protocol for the Prevention and Elimination of Pollution of the Mediterranean Sea by Dumping from Ships and Aircraft or Incineration at Sea known as the Dumping Protocol .
  • The 1995 amendments to The 1976 Protocol for the Prevention and Elimination of Pollution of the Mediterranean Sea by Dumping from Ships and Aircraft or Incineration at Sea known as the Dumping Protocol

In Malta, disposal of waste at sea can only take place at the spoil ground located 35O 55.1’ N, 014O 34’E (outside the Grand Harbour- figure below), and such an activity is regulated by ERA through the Waste Consignment Note Procedure. Only disposal of certain wastes is allowed, and this is subject to meeting given criteria and obtaining the required permits, from the Authority.

Location of the designated spoil ground in Malta
Location of the designated spoil ground in Malta

Construction and demolition activities as well as dredging activities, substantially contribute to the amount of waste dumped at sea (see Table below).

YearDredged material
(tonnes)		Inert Waste
(tonnes)		Total
(tonnes)
2011140,3208,800149,120
20121,037,680-1,037,680
2013678,640-678,640
2014433,817-433,817
201577,76033,800111,560
2016-16,00016,000
2017425,000-425,000
Amounts of dredged material or inert waste disposed at sea in Malta, 2011-2017

Dredging in Malta

Dredging is the removal of material from the seabed, usually for maintenance of fairways for navigation of vessels or the development of port facilities. To date, disposal of dredged material in Malta has been at sea.

If not properly managed, dredging can have significant environmental impacts associated with the dredging process itself as well as with the disposal of dredged material. During both activities, impacts may arise as a result of loss or disturbance of benthic habitats, an increase in turbidity, changes in water currents (or hydrographical conditions), and release of contaminants accumulated within the dredged sediments, all of which can negatively affect water quality and marine ecosystems at the dredged and disposal locations.

The fate of dredged material depends on the level of contaminants present in the sediment.  In this context, prior to any dredging activity, a sampling plan shall be submitted to the Authority, for approval, in line with ERA’s Terms of Reference for the Management and Disposal of Dredged Material V.3.

The transfer of dredged material for the purposes of disposal at sea or disposal on land in a local non-hazardous landfill is subject to the Consignment Permit and Note Procedure.

The Waste Management (Landfill) Regulations S.L. 549.29, are the national legislation that regulate landfills and their impact, and aim to transpose the provisions of the Landfill Directive 1999/31/EC.

The Landfill Regulations aim to ensure a progressive reduction of landfilling of waste, in particular of waste that is suitable for recycling or other recovery. The objective of the regulations is to prevent or reduce as far as possible negative effects on the environment, in particular on surface water, groundwater, soil, air, and on human health from the landfilling of waste by introducing stringent technical requirements for waste and landfills.

The Landfill Regulations classify landfills into three classes, depending on the type of waste a landfill is permitted to receive:

  • Landfill for Hazardous waste;
  • Landfill for Non-hazardous waste; and
  • Landfill for Inert waste.

Flow chart explaining the three classes of landfill

The regulations outline which waste can be accepted at different classes of landfills, as well as which waste streams cannot be accepted at landfills.

  • Only waste which has been treated may be landfilled;
  • Hazardous waste, as defined by the Waste Framework Directive, is to be assigned to a hazardous landfill;
  • Landfills for non-hazardous may accept municipal waste and other non-hazardous waste; and
  • Landfill sites for inert waste must be used only for inert waste.

It is to be highlighted that there are currently no permitted hazardous waste landfills and inert waste landfills in the Maltese Islands. For permitted landfills, click here.

There are a number of waste streams that cannot be accepted at landfills:

  • Liquid waste;
  • Explosive or oxidising waste;
  • Flammable waste;
  • Corrosive waste;
  • Hospital and other clinical wastes which are infectious;
  • Whole and shredded tyres;
  • Waste which has been separately collected for preparing for re-use and recycling; and
  • Any other type of waste which does not fulfil the Waste Acceptance Criteria

The regulations also establish what information is necessary within an operating permit for a landfill site.

Furthermore, the landfill regulations also provide detailed guidelines on the requirements for an engineered landfill, as well as the necessary monitoring procedures and closure procedures, including:

  • General requirements for all classes of landfills;
    • Water control and leachate management;
    • Gas control;
    • Measures to minimise nuisances and hazards;
    • Stability of waste mass;
    • Barriers to prevent free access; and
    • Requirements for the temporary storage of metallic mercury.
  • Top, Bottom and Side sealing permeability requirements, depending on landfill class, for the protection of soil and water;
  • Control and monitoring procedures in operation and after-care phases; and
  • Closure and after-care procedures

Further information on the Landfill Directive may be found here.