European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy Jessika Roswall visited WasteServ, where she was shown the significant progress being made in Malta’s waste management sector and the ongoing efforts to strengthen the country’s transition towards a circular economy.
The visit was held together with Minister for the Environment, Energy and Public Cleanliness Miriam Dalli and WasteServ CEO Richard Bilocca. Together, they toured key WasteServ facilities, including the ECOHIVE Complex in Naxxar.
Commissioner Roswall began her visit at the ECOHIVE Academy in Marsaskala, where she was introduced to WasteServ’s educational programmes. Through interactive and engaging learning experiences, the Academy promotes waste management and circular economy principles in a fun and accessible way, particularly for children and young people. The Commissioner noted the importance of education, especially at a young age, in demonstrating how waste can be transformed into a valuable resource.
The Commissioner was then given an overview of the waste management infrastructure projects that have already been implemented, as well as those currently in the pipeline across WasteServ’s operations, with particular focus on the ECOHIVE Project.
Once fully implemented, the ECOHIVE Project will transform the way Malta manages its waste, significantly reducing landfilling while creating valuable resources. The visit also served as an opportunity to highlight how tangible operational improvements, combined with long-term strategic planning, are reshaping waste management practices across the country.
“It was inspiring to visit on-site projects in Malta that promote the transition to circularity and I have seen on the ground how waste can be turned into a resource. This is not only important for Malta but also an opportunity that Europe has to seize. The circular economy is our path to build resilience, especially given the scale of conflicts around the world to access raw materials and the very big geopolitical shift taking place around us. Circularity is the only way to futureproof our economy for the challenges ahead. We depend on other countries for more than 90% of critical raw materials, but only recycle less than 1%. That is why we will present the Circular Economy Act later this year, this will be the European framework that will allow us to build a genuine single market for circular materials,” said Commissioner Roswall.
Minister Miriam Dalli stated: “The investments introduced by this Government and the policies implemented over the past years are proving to be a real game changer. We are not only managing waste more efficiently but also transforming it into valuable resources. Today’s visit underlined WasteServ’s commitment to continuous improvement, innovation and education as key drivers in achieving sustainable waste management and supporting Malta’s wider environmental and climate objectives.”
Commenting on the visit, WasteServ CEO Richard Bilocca said: “WasteServ is fully committed to delivering a better environment for future generations. Education, particularly among children, remains central to our efforts. Our children are the motivation behind the daily work carried out at our facilities, and we are determined to leave them a better environment than the one we inherited. Through continued investment and the dedication of our teams, we remain fully focused on delivering Malta’s ambitious waste management strategy.”
During her visit, Commissioner Roswall was also shown the progress being made on the project to transform the former Sant’Antnin waste management facility into 24,000 square metres of green public open space, representing a total investment of €37 million.
Photos: MEEC
