“Paying more attention on how we manage the waste we generate will lead to better and cleaner urban areas. To achieve this, we must understand that the local councils are best placed to ensure that this objective is attained properly as they are closest to the residents effected.” This was stated by Carmel Cacopardo, Chairperson of ADPD-The Green Party in Buġibba when addressing a press conference on the politics of waste.
Sandra Gauci, ADPD Deputy Secretary General and general election candidate on the 6th and 12th Electoral Districts emphasised that the politics of waste needs to be brought in line with today’s needs as to date it is still linked to a society long bygone.
Going through our streets on a normal morning reveals that it is almost impossible to walk on some of our pavements. On Mondays, in particular, when mixed waste is collected (in the black bag) together with organic waste (in the white bag) most of our pavements are an area reserved for waste. In addition to generating uncleanliness through spilt waste this obstructs residents from using pavements. Those most impacted are elderly residents and those with mobility impairments who in a number of localities find it very difficult to manage walking on pavements in such circumstances.
The waste collection schedule does not address the need of shift workers, nor does it take into consideration the needs of households where both parents are in employment and generally not at home during waste collection times. Nor does it factor in the needs of those making use of seasonal accommodation or having short-let residences for whom a fixed waste collection time is not practical. As a result, many waste management difficulties arise in our localities. Even relative to waste we need policies which address the residents’ actual needs.
Carmel Cacopardo, Chairperson of ADPD-The Green Party emphasised that Local Councils, which should be the Local Government, are tied down by Government and Wasteserve directives. The local government is not being allowed to govern the locality. It is essential that the subsidiarity principle is adequately applied by allowing Local Councils to themselves plan the best way to carry out waste collection. Door-to-door waste collection needs to be supplemented with other waste collection methods which address residents’ needs. We cannot retain intact a system designed for the needs of society 50 years ago.
It is within this context that we should give due attention to the proposals of the Local Councils’ Association which consider the possibility of a number of fixed waste collection points in our localities. The proposal is a reasonable one. Some infrastructural changes in our roads would be necessary as these are designed in a manner that ignore waste. Such a proposal would require careful planning and investment to improve the local infrastructure.
It would also require studies and a number of pilot projects in different localities to examine in detail the impacts in different settings. It would require underpinning by an educational campaign as well as a road map on how those with mobility problems will be assisted.
The proposal of the Local Councils’ Association aims at having 13,000 waste collection points in the different localities in lieu of having a scammel doing the rounds in our towns and villages.
ADPD, concluded Carmel Cacopardo, considers the proposal of the Local Councils’ Association as a very valid contribution on improving waste collection. He invited Government to allocate the required resources to ensure that the required studies are carried out together with a number of pilot projects. This would enable plotting the way forward.
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Politika lokali dwar il-ġbir tal-iskart
“Jekk nagħtu iktar każ ta’ kif jinġabar l-iskart nikkontribwixxu biex ikollna zoni urbani aħjar u iktar indaf. Biex dan iseħħ irridu nifhmu li l-kunsilli lokali li huma l-iktar qrib in-nies u huma l-aħjar għodda biex dan iseħħ u jseħħ sewwa.” Dan qalu Carmel Cacopardo, Chairperson ta’ ADPD-The Green Party f’Buġibba huwa u jindirizza konferenza stampa fuq il-politika dwar l-iskart.
Sandra Gauci, Deputat Segretarju Ġenerali ta’ ADPD u kandidat għall-elezzjoni ġenerali fuq is-6 u t-12-il Distrett emfasizzat li l-politika dwar l-iskart teħtieġ li tkun aġġornata għall-ħtiġijiet tal-lum għax baqgħet marbuta ma soċjetà differenti milli għandna illum.
Dawra mat-toroq tal-pajjiż filgħodu kważi kuljum turi bankini li ftit li xejn tista’ timxi fuqhom. Nhar ta’ Tnejn b’mod partikolari isir il-ġbir kemm tal-borza is-sewda (skart imħallat) u skart organiku (borża bajda) u uħud mill-bankini jkunu għal ħin twil riżervati għall-boroz taż-żibel. Apparti li dan jiġġenera l-ħmieġ minn skart li jixtered huwa ta’ ostaklu għan-nies biex jagħmlu użu mill-bankina. L-iktar effettwati huma l-anzjani u dawk kollha b’mobilità ridotta li f’xi lokalitajiet ikollhom diffikulta mhux żgħira biex jagħmlu użu mill-bankini.
L-iskeda tal-ġbir tal-iskart ma tagħtix kaz in-nies li jaħdmu bix-xift u l-anqas tal-fatt li f’ħafna djar ma jkun hemm ħadd fil-ħinijiet tal-ġbir tal-iskart minħabba li kemm ir-raġel kif ukoll il-mara jaħdmu. Lanqas ma tagħti kaz tal-fatt li f’numru ta’ lokalitajiet fejn hemm iktar bini użat għal residenza staġjonali, jew b’kirjiet fuq perjodu qasir, il-ġbir tal-iskart f’ħin fiss mhux wieħed addattat. Riżultat ta’ dan f’diversi partijiet ta’ Malta qed ikollna diffikultajiet mhux żgħar fil-ġbir tal-iskart. Għalhekk anke dwar l-iskart neħtieġu politika li tirrifletti l-ħtiġijiet tan-nies illum.
Carmel Cacopardo, Chairperson ta’ ADPD qal li l-Kunsilli Lokali, li suppost li huma l-Gvern Lokali għandhom idejhom marbutin bid-direttivi tal-Gvern u tal-Wasteserve. Għandna Gvern Lokali li mhux jitħalla jiggverna fil-lokal. Huwa neċessarju li l-prinċipju tas-sussidjarjetà napplikawh sew u dan billi l-Kunsilli Lokali jitħallew jippjanaw huma l-aħjar mod kif l-iskart jinġabar. Il-ġbir tal-iskart bieb bieb jeħtieġ li jkun supplimentat b’metodi oħra ta’ ġbir li jagħti iktar kaz tal-ħtiġijiet tan-nies. Ma nistgħux nibqgħu b’sistema ta’ ġbir imfassla għall-ħtiġijiet ta’ soċjetà ta’ 50 sena ilu.
Huwa għalhekk li għandu jingħata każ tal-proposti li saru mill-Assoċjazzjoni tal-Kunsilli Lokali li qed jikkonsidraw li l-iskart ikun jista’ jiġi depożitat f’numru ta’ postijiet fissi fil-lokalitajiet tagħna. L-idea hi tajba u jista’ jkun hemm ħtieġa ta’ xi tibdil fl-infrastruttura tat-toroq tagħna li s’issa l-iskart jinjorawh. Jiġifieri biex proposta bħal din tkun tista’ titwettaq teħtieg ippjanar sewwa u investiment fit-titjib tal-infrastruttura lokali.
Teħtieġ studju sewwa u numru ta’ proġetti pilota f’lokalitajiet differenti biex jiġu eżaminat bir-reqqa l-impatti fuq xenarji differenti. Teħtieġ ukoll preparazzjoni edukattiva sostanzjali kif ukoll ippjanar dwar kif għandhom ikunu mgħejjuna dawk li għandhom problema ta’ mobilità.
Il-proposta tal-Assoċjazzjoni tal-Kunsilli Lokali qed taħseb għal 13,000 punt imxerrda ma Malta u Għawdex li minnhom jinġabar l-iskart flok ma’ l-iscammel joqgħod idur bil-mod mal-ibliet u l-irħula tagħna.
ADPD, ikkonkluda Carmel Cacopardo, tara ħafna validu fil-proposta tal-Assoċjazzjoni tal-Kunsilli Lokali għal titjib fil-mod kif jinġabar l-iskart. Huwa stieden lill-Gvern biex jalloka r-riżorsi meħtieġa biex isiru l-istudji neċessarji u possibilment numru ta’ proġetti pilota biex b’hekk inkunu nistgħu nfasslu t-triq il-quddiem.
