WEEE Malta has launched the WEEE Trolleys – Collection Points, aimed to increase the collection and recycling of small waste electric and electronic equipment. As a general rule, we categorize small WEEE as small handheld items that require a plug or batteries to use that can fit inside of the trolley, such as:
• Small kitchen appliances (kettles, toasters, irons etc.)
• Hair dryers, hair straighteners & clippers
• Clocks, watches, calculators & torches
• Remote controls, laptops, mobile phones, cameras & chargers
• Radios, mini hi-fis, & CD & MP3 players
• Small electronic toys e.g. remote control cars
• Power tools, smoke detectors & thermostats

WEEE Malta is supplying over 60 Trolleys to Local Councils, schools, colleges, businesses and retailers, where both the staff and/or the visiting public can safely dispose of their small Waste Electric and Electronic Equipment. The intention is to supply 300 trolleys in the next 3 years.
The trolleys are mobile, fitted with brakes and are adequately equipped providing an easy solution for WEEE recycling. When full, WEEE Malta will ensure to empty it on site and transport it to WEEE accredited facilities through a Consignment Note approved by the Environment and Resources Authority. WEEE Malta is committed to providing this service throughout its collection points.
During a press conference at the Qormi Local Council (one of the participating Local Councils) WEEE Malta Chief Operations Officer Mr. Sergio Mallia said that small WEEE like toys, tools, small appliances, and IT equipment are being either hoarded or disposed of in the black bag and sent to the landfill instead of being recycled. “Every year a substantial amount of all small electrical items are thrown into domestic waste. If everyone made an effort and disposed of these items either in these Trolleys or at Civic Amenity Sites, we would see a big impact on recycling rates in Malta, hence saving our environment. Mr Mallia went on to say that “by keeping WEEE separate from other waste it can be treated, the hazardous substances can be removed and a large amount of waste can be recycled rather than sent for disposal at the Landfill”.
Mr. Mallia added that waste recycling in Malta faces an external challenge in the years ahead. This challenge centers on an EU Directive which sets out that national collection rates of 42% of waste electrical and electronic equipment by 2016 will go up to 65% national rate by the end of 2020.
To increase collections and awareness, WEEE Malta is also taking part during this year’s European Week for Waste Reduction. The aim of the European Week for Waste Reduction from the 19th to the 27th November is to put forward the concept of waste prevention, reuse and recycling during one week, by coordinating awareness raising actions organised by a variety of actors. WEEE Malta has launched an awareness campaing encouraging people of all ages to dispose of their electronic waste in a proper way. To facilitate matters, WEEE Malta has introduced a FreePhone number whereby residents from all Malta and Gozo can call on 8007 4444 and WEEE Malta officials will service a door to door WEEE collection for free. As part of its ‘Social Corporate Responsibility’, WEEE Malta is donating EUR1 to Dar Tal-Providenza for every waste electric & electronic equipment collected, capped at EUR 10,000.
WEEE Malta is recieving calls from the 15th to the 24th of November from 8:00 till 17:00. WEEE Collections will be made from the 21st to the 28th of November according to localities split into five areas in Malta and two in Gozo.
In her intervention the Mayor of Qormi, Rosianne Cutajar stressed that the Environment is one of the fundamental sectors which are given priority by the Local Council. This initiative taken by the Local Council together with WEEE Malta shows how the Qormi Local Council is pioneer in the endeavour of reaching the environmental safeguarding objectives. The Local Council has taken different initiatives in the sector such as the collection of clothes, introduction of mobile CCTV to protect our environment, and this Electronic and electrical waste recycling programme. The Mayor of Qormi appealed to the public to cooperate and make use of the collection point situated at the Local Council offices.
Addressing the Press, Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government Onor Stefan Buontempo described this initiative as an innovative and proactive one towards reaching our environmental protection goals. In commending the efforts shown by WEEE Malta, Dr Buontempo encouraged more local councils to participate in this Electronic and electrical waste recycling programme hoping that the public cooperates in order to make this successful.
This requires that both WEEE Malta and the Local Councils to embark on an educational information campaign to advise the general public on both the advantages of recycling electrical waste and how this can be easily done through this new disposal system.
Dr Buontempo mentioned how in the first 8 months of this year (2016), Wasteserv had registered over 10,885 Tons of recycled waste collected through the grey bag in Malta and Gozo. This showed that the public was willing to recycle domestic waste and has the environment at heart. “However this was not enough and we should strive for higher recycling figures for a cleaner environment and in order to follow closer EU waste collection directives. The Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government noted as well that after an improvement in effective enforcement at bring-in sites, there was a significant increase in the demand for organised bulk refuse collection by the general public which is offered for free through the Local Councils. He augured that the progress achieved in these last years through the cooperation of several stakeholders, continued steadily ahead by opting for more educational initiatives amongst the public rather than having to opt for heavy enforcement.