Improving Malta’s recycling performance through targeted management decisions at the Sant’ Antnin Waste Treatment Plant : material recovery facility rudimentary sorting line

Abstract

Drastic operational improvements don’t necessarily need to break the bank. Re‑engineering operations, motivating and responsibilising the workforce, and energetic leadership, can lead to sharp increases in production (Uhrin, Bruque‑Cámara & Moyano‑Fuentes, 2017). One may even argue that this is an essential pre‑requisite to any capex injection strategy. Knowing that you are making the most out of your existent setup is very important before investing important capital in improving it. The potential of short‑term gains is also evident from the examination of the following case study. In a world limited by resources, the recovery of materials from waste is a key principle within the EU acquis, and a basic requirement for sound environmental management and fundamental to sustainable development (Narayana, 2009). Across the years, Malta has lagged behind (Bezzina & Dimech, 2011; Environment and Resources Authority [ERA], 2019) and the incapacitation of its main plant due to fires in 2017 has severely impinged on its performance. This has led to various repercussions, including a demotivated sector. Rewiring the system in a vibrant manner has been crucial to lay the foundations for the largest‑ever investment in Malta’s waste management infrastructure, standing at 500 million Euro, which is intended to turn the island into a circular economy powerhouse. The focus of this article is on the recovery of recyclable materials. It examines how, prior to the fruition of multimillion euro investments, through a very aggressive strategy, short term significant gains have been obtained, laying the foundations for a very prospective future.