'Revolutionary' Waste Management Facility at East Side set for next year

A Waste Management Facility is set to be built on the East Side of the Rock.

The Government says this will revolutionise waste disposal, create 50 jobs, and generate renewable energy from waste. 

It says the facility will begin to be operational 'by no later than 2026'.

The news follows what Number Six calls a ‘historic agreement’ with Recycle.gi – a subsidiary of Environment and Waste Management Services Limited.

Waste Management is changing across the globe.

Since the Rock started making plans for a No Negotiated Outcome in treaty negotiations, waste disposal has been a concern.

At present, the bulk of our waste goes to Spain. But the cost of this is rising and is set to increase substantially as the European Union tries to dissuade sending waste to landfill.

The Waste Management Facility, to be built at Dobinson Way on Europa Advance Road, would tackle this, by giving Gibraltar the ability to separate waste, which will increase its recycling rates. It will also provide for the ability to treat residual waste where necessary.

So who will be responsible for Gibraltar’s new Waste Management Facility?

Recycle.gi is a subsidiary of Environment and Waste Management Services Limited. The Government says the company has over 30 years of experience in waste management.

They were the preferred bidders, following an Expressions of Interest process in July.

The Government says the agreement will provide for:

A state of the art facility, 50 local jobs, generating renewable energy from waste, freeing up resources such as external processors and logistics costs, meeting environmental goals, the ability to monitor emissions and a new income stream for the Government through recycled and repurposed waste.

Number Six says the facility will improve the Rock’s self-sufficiency in a cost efficient way in the case of a treaty being finalized, or a no deal scenario.

The Chief Minister says work on a no negotiated outcome is leading to real-world improvements in the way Gibraltar does things, which will be beneficial even with a treaty agreement.