INTERInterview VIEW
SUSTAINABLE WASTE MANAGEMENT
WasteServ’s ultimate aim is encourage people to make waste management an integral lifestyle practice, says Tonio Montebello, Chief Executive Officer, WasteServ Malta Limited. When was WasteServ Malta Limited set up and with what aims? WasteServ Malta Limited started operating in January 2003. It is a private owned company that is Government funded and is committed towards establishing and maintaining an innovative waste management infrastructure which also protects the environment and society. What products and services do you offer? While focusing predominantly on the management of municipal waste and recycling methods, WasteServ’s overall mission is: “To organise, supervise and control the provision of major waste management facilities and related services throughout the Maltese Islands. WasteServ also develops sites and facilities in accordance to local and international legislation, in order to ensure sustainable waste management.” How important is it to educate society about the benefits of waste management? Through its ongoing communication programme, WasteServ aims to promote waste minimisation and recycling while encouraging stakeholders to take pride in being committed to implementing sustainable waste management methods. WasteServ is committed to educate on the benefits to be gained from proper waste management practices. Through various education campaigns, we are constantly informing the public, especially children, about facilities and practices available and encourage them to use these facilities. WasteServ’s ultimate aim is encourage the local population to make waste management an integral lifestyle practice. What role does WasteServ play in this educational effort? WasteServ is the main promoter of waste management education in Malta. The company focuses its education on the waste hierarchy as outlined in the Waste Framework Directive, which clearly sets the basic definitions of waste management, namely of waste, recycling and recovery. This directive stipulates that waste should be managed without endangering human health and the environment, and in particular without risk to water, air, soil, plants or animals, without causing a nuisance through noise or odours, and without adversely affecting the countryside or places of special interest. This directive has set out a five-step hierarchy of waste management procedures which must be applied by member states when developing their national waste policies. These are: waste prevention;
WasteServ’s educational commitment knows no limits. Our educational initiatives are widespread and include participation in the Zerowaste Pro programme which focuses on the three main pillars of zerowaste philosophy: prevention, reuse and recycling and promoting best practices and tools.
What is the role of waste management in Malta’s bid to reuse, reduce and recycle? WasteServ has identified the following strategic objectives: to reduce the amount of municipal waste produced across the islands; to promote and adapt people’s behaviour to understand the value of waste as a natural and viable resource, by reusing, recycling and composting the maximum practicable amount of household waste; and to maximise opportunities for reuse of unwanted items and waste by working closely with community and other groups
Other initiatives include training on green waste management solutions, the production of educational tools about recycling for teachers and students, and the participation in fairs, such as European Week for Waste Reduction, workshops, conferences and competitions. A number of site visits and open days are organised, the most recent of which was held on January 25 and attracted over 500 people at the Sant’ Antnin Waste Treatment Plant.
How important is it to educate society about the benefits of waste management? In order to persuade people to change their attitude and intended behaviour, it is vital that they are educated on the benefits to be gained from proper waste management practices. The public has to be informed about all facilities and practices available and encouraged to use them. Waste management needs to become an integral lifestyle practice.
WasteServ also regularly publishes educational media articles online and offline and participates on local TV and radio programmes. WasteServ also regularly hosts schoolchildren to its facilities, where its officials help to disseminate information about waste separation in general as well as the processes adopted at the Sant’ Antnin Waste Treatment Plant.
How do you invest in your human resources? Over the past year, WasteSev’s management has made serious headway in projects which have directly resulted and will continue resulting in an increase in investment in its most valuable resource: its human capital.
preparing for re-use; recycling; recovery (including energy recovery); and safe disposal, as a last resort.
What are your plans for 2015? This year promises to be extremely challenging for WasteServ with a number of interesting and exciting projects in store. One of the first projects to be launched this year is the opening of the sixth civic amenity site at Ta’ Qali, next to the Pitkali Markets Centre – this site will have a composter which can accept up to 2.5 tonnes of biodegradable waste. Other projects involving huge infrastructural investments include the development of The Malta North Mechanical and Biological Waste treatment plant project, located behind the former Maghtab dump site which is set to cost €60m, co-financed by the EU Cohesion Fund. At the Gozo waste transfer station at Tal-Kus near Xewkija, hazardous and non-hazardous waste will be sorted and stored before it is transferred to Malta and the continuous rehabilitation of the landfills. Another initiative in which WasteServ is involved is the introduction of the third bag in households through a pilot project – this will facilitate the process through which organic waste is transformed into compost while producing energy.
WasteServ has put in place a human resources team which is equipped to handle day-to-day concerns and all matters relating to its staff and also invested in initiatives such as the launch of the WasteServ Malta Training Academy. This academy will give all employees the opportunity to develop themselves both on a personal and professional level. A companywide job-evaluation exercise is also underway to better understand the importance and relevance of each position, thus feeding into another exercise through which we are creating a skills matrix to better identify the right person for the job. As the company grows, so do the opportunities to help create a dynamic environment within WasteServ through which employees can advance in their careers, be it through internal vacancies as well as lateral transfers. A collective agreement, spanning over four years, has recently been signed through which increases in salary and allowances have been guaranteed for all its constituents. The collective agreement also creates a platform from which the human resources function can implement the company’s vision, one which has human resources paddling in the forefront, influencing directly the company’s business strategy.
Money / Issue 29 - 27