Blue bin textile collection service looking for government support as ‘surge in logistics costs’ takes its toll

ReFab Light Blue Partnership, a company which handles the blue box textile collection service for recycling, is looking for Government support as increased costs has resulted in it having to suspend some of its operations.

“For over ten years, ReFab has ensured the separate collection of textile waste on the island through an entirely private investment of street containers. In recent months, however, the global textile recycling sector has been hit by an unprecedented crisis: the dramatic surge in transportation and logistics costs on the island, combined with the collapse of international raw material markets, has made economic operations unsustainable,” it told this newsroom.

The company said that out of the original 162 containers it ran, 59 have been suspended. 103 boxes are still being operated regularly across the island of Malta.

The company also wanted to clarify certain points. It referred to media reports which said that their bins were being removed without notice, arguing that this was misleading and that they had informed local councils and certain other entities around a month ago.

ReFab said that despite the “significant and progressive” financial losses it has directly incurred, it “has never intended to abandon its role. With a profound sense of responsibility towards its citizens and to prevent the island from losing a strategic environmental asset, the company has shouldered the entire economic burden of the crisis for a long time.”

It said that the recent removal of some of the street containers is not an arbitrary decision or a disengagement, “but rather the painful and inevitable consequence” of an operational congestion that no longer allows it to continue operating entirely alone.

The solution, the company said, is to align Malta with European support standards.

It said that textile waste management can no longer rely solely on the financial sacrifice of a single private operator.

It said that in many EU countries national institutions and governments are stepping in to support the recycling chain, and mentioned France as an example.

It is understood that France supports textile collection and sorting under its Extended Producer Responsibility scheme, with payments of €268 per tonne.

ReFab said that Malta must and can equip itself with these sustainability tools, and that it has initiated a constructive dialogue with municipalities, regional councils, ERA, WasteServ, and the relevant ministries.

“The goal is not to make demands, but to jointly find a common path that will allow the government to align with European standards for supporting the circular economy, safeguarding a fundamental service for the population and protecting the country from the risk of EU sanctions for failure to meet environmental targets.”

The company said it has a deep connection with the Maltese territory, and looking ahead, it has formally requested a meeting with the government to present the Malta Textile Compliance & Recovery (MTCR) Project.

“This is a cutting-edge, industrially designed plan to eliminate landfill waste through the production of pellets and high-value structural components, transforming Malta into a pilot project of sustainable excellence in the Mediterranean,” it said.

ReFab said it is available to collaborate with national authorities to fully restore and strengthen the collection network as soon as the necessary framework for stabilizing and supporting the supply chain is established.