Time to barcode our garbage problem

Malta’s garbage crisis isn’t just about litter – it’s a failure of leadership, vision, and will. A smarter system is within reach. Beyond Labour’s gloss, Malta is in an acute garbage crisis.

Our garbage system in place is outdated and unresponsive to modern realities. Photo: timesofmalta.com

Despite multiple reforms, including colour-coded bags, standardised collection schedules and public awareness campaigns, the core issues remain unresolved.

Beyond Labour’s gloss, Malta is in an acute garbage crisis.

This is not only a matter of public carelessness but the result of a structural breakdown. The system in place is outdated, unresponsive to modern realities and far too rigid to adapt to the diverse needs of Maltese communities.

One of the clearest examples of this failure is the way Malta’s national waste policies apply a one-size-fits-all model across different localities. Against the advice given by the majority of mayors, the government ran roughshod to introduce a desktop system that does not take into consideration the challenges and exigencies that each locality faces.

Can Sliema, St Julian’s, Swieqi and other densely populated areas have the same garbage regime, as for example, Qrendi, Safi or Munxar? There is no comparison. These urban centres are densely populated. They experience a huge turnover of short-term tenants and have a strong dependence on tourism. To make matters worse, many properties lack garbage rooms and garbage has to be left on pavements. This is regularly scattered by drunk tourists. With short-term tenants and tourists often unaware of and/or unconcerned about local regulations, compliance becomes unrealistic, thus setting the system up to fail.

Speaking from my experience during my tenure as mayor, the frustration of residents falls unfairly on local councils, who are left to manage the consequences of a policy that was never designed for urban areas and which was eventually imposed on them.

We need to have a structural reset – one that introduces accountability, adapts to local realities and leverages technology to resolve this mess. Beyond the need to introduce green wardens to enforce the law and give hefty fines on the spot to whoever is caught abusing, we need to be bold and introduce, at least in our urban areas, a pilot project, in the form of a barcoding system.

Sadly, the Labour government has repeatedly shot down this proposal.

How does garbage barcoding work? Every household and/or commercial outlet is given a unique barcode or QR code, printed on biodegradable colourcoded garbage bags to be bought solely from authorised sellers and/or local councils, which would then be scanned during collection, taking note of the day and time of collection.

Thus, garbage will be traced to its source, allowing the authorities to monitor and identify those who put their garbage outside the scheduled timeframes. No other different garbage bags can be sold or used. Whoever breaks the rules will be heftily fined.

Although, as with any data-driven system, data privacy is a legitimate concern, the barcode system will not be intended to track individuals but will be linked to a household. Consequently, it will become possible to enforce where necessary, while also recognising and incentivising those who sort correctly. Responsible households would no longer be penalised by the selfishness of others. On the contrary, compliant households will be rewarded, possibly through some tax rebates.

Although garbage barcoding may be a new concept for us, the system is already in place in other countries, such as the UK, Spain, New Zealand and Canada.

Adopting such a system will not only improve compliance but will also transform how we plan and respond to waste issues nationally. The real-time data collected through barcoding will allow policymakers to understand waste patterns by area, adjust collection routes based on demand and identify dumping hotspots. High-traffic impacted tourist areas will be managed differently from quiet residential areas.

Subsequently, waste management will become proactive, not reactive.

A barcoded approach is not only smarter and fairer but necessary. With the right political determination and public engagement, we have the opportunity finally to address the garbage crisis. What remains is the political will to find the way.

(This article was published on Times of Malta – 17 August, 2025)