Waste Management Corporation Limited (WAMCO) has revealed the results of the new regulations on waste segregation have been positive.
WAMCO began implementing the new regulations on waste segregation on June 1. The regulations mandate households in the Greater Male’ Region to begin sorting and separating the waste into three types before collection.
Statistics published by WAMCO show that 15% of households in the Greater Male’ Region have been adhering to the new regulations in the past week. WAMCO stated that 49% of the collected waste is organic/food waste and 51% is mixed, which showed that most households are not separating their waste properly, as proper waste segregation would mean that 65% of the collected waste in the Greater Male’ Region would be organic, 22% would be mixed, and 13% would be plastics.
Furthermore, WAMCO stated that it is using two compactor trucks, to separately compact waste that has been properly segregated. The company also expressed concern that waste collection in the past week has seen organic waste being placed in plastic bottles before they are packed.
Waste segregation was a concept that was previously unsuccessful in the Maldives. However, the government has begun implementing the waste segregation regulations with some changes on June 1. The relevant authorities have noted that implementing the regulations in the Greater Male’ Region has been challenging. Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, and Technology have stated that it would take time for the public to fully adhere to the new regulations, which are part of the efforts to establish a sustainable waste management system in the Maldives.