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A visit to the Hal Far WasteServ

Form 3 students' outing

Tue 09 Dec 2008

On Tuesday 9th December, 2009, the Form 3 Biology students accompanied by Ms Jane Zahra and Mr Justin Chetcuti,  visited the Hal Far Civic Amenity Site or as commonly known as, the Hal Far Waste Serv

The guide began the tour by telling us that this land fill was opened about a year ago. She told us that the first Waste Serv Depot in Malta was opened outside Maghtab. Following this, another one was opened in Mriehel, which is the busiest one of all, then the one at Hal Far and about ten days ago, another Waste Serve opened in Luqa.

These landfills are open for the public everyday from 7:30 till 17:30, including  Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. When the Waste Serv Depots close, the waste brought there during the day is separated.

Mount Maghtab is not being used anymore and so, pipes have been laid to  extract gases from the rubbish left. Now rubbish is being taken to the land fills, which are situated near Maghtab, and dry waste is taken to the Sant Antnin Sewage Plant in Marsascala. The Sant Antnin Sewage Plant will hold 1/3 of Malta’s waste. Empty quarries are being filled with construction waste.

In the Waste Serv depots mentioned above, not only dry waste such as plastic, metal, glass and paper can be disposed of, but any waste that you can imagine and that you can find in your homes. The rubbish that is brought here is recycled. For example, metal is exported to be melted down.

When we have, for example a mattress to dispose, we call the local council and a specified van will take our waste. After, the mattress is brought to any of these Waste Serv depots, the materials it is made from are separated.

Different types of waste such as aluminum and metal, mattresses, tyres,  and televisions can be brought here. Most materials are exported for recycling.  They are expensive to export and so they are exported in bulk, one at a time. Refrigerators have their  poisonous gases taken out.  Garden waste, is used for fires; cardboard is crushed for export; glass is mixed with tar and used to make streets. Construction waste, such as, stones and tiles are used for filling quarries.  Electronic waste, such as monitors and keyboards is exported.. Paper, such as newspaper, is put in special  containers and then separated. Car oil is changed into biodiesal. Medicines are not thrown away but are disposed of in the open sea. Batteries and syringes are also brought here.

This Waste Serv depot is powered by a Wind Turbine and Solar Panels. The Solar Panels generate 6300 units per year and the Wind Turbine generates 4500 units per year, to a total of 10800 units of energy per year. This reduces about 9485 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions every year.

If you want to save the world and the environment around us, take advantage and come dispose your waste in a specified place!

Glen Grech (Form 3B)