{"id":2359,"date":"2015-08-03T12:09:42","date_gmt":"2015-08-03T16:09:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ugagreenway.wordpress.com\/?p=2359"},"modified":"2023-01-03T15:30:16","modified_gmt":"2023-01-03T20:30:16","slug":"recycling-in-malta-europe-the-u-s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/greenway\/2015\/08\/03\/recycling-in-malta-europe-the-u-s\/","title":{"rendered":"Recycling in Malta, Europe & the U.S."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Managing waste is a major issue for countries around the world. When I am visiting somewhere one of the first things I look for are recycling containers. If they are easy to find, then that place is usually doing a better job encouraging people (tourists and residents) to recycle. In Malta I didn\u2019t encounter many recycling bins in the places I visited; however, Malta is producing less waste than in 2003. The problem is that only a small amount is being recycled or composted. In 2013, Malta generated 570 kilograms (1,257 pounds) of waste per person and only 6% was recycled and 5% composted. The remaining waste (89%) went to landfill.  The average recycling rate for the European Union (EU) member states is 29%. The EU target for member states to recycle 50% of municipal waste by 2020. That goal has been reached in Germany, Austria, Belgium and Switzerland. Recycling efforts vary by country and can be impacted by a number of factors.  Countries like Malta generate a higher level of per capita trash because of the large number of tourists who visit the country each year. In 2014, 1.7 million people visited the country, which is about five times the country\u2019s population. Encouraging the tourists to recycle is a step in the right direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n