WasteServ has issued a new excavation tender aimed at increasing the capacity of an existing engineered landfill by more than 2.9 million cubic metres, without taking up any additional agricultural land.The extra capacity is equivalent to around 1,100 Olympic-sized swimming pools. The project will be carried out in two phases and will involve excavating an old engineered landfill, built in 2004, from its current depth of around 10 metres down to 54 metres.WasteServ CEO Richard Bilocca said the project is focused on making better use of infrastructure already in place while keeping environmental impact as low as possible.“This project is about making the best possible use of the resources and infrastructure we already have with the least possible impact,” he said.Waste material removed ahead of the excavation is also being reused in another landfill project, where it is helping form the foundation of a retaining wall around an existing landfill.Using a patented technique, the wall will allow the landfill slope to increase from the conventional 30 degrees to around 70 degrees, creating additional capacity without using more land.Once excavation reaches the underlying bedrock, the chosen contractor will also be required to process the extracted stone into construction-related products rather than dispose of it. WasteServ said this should reduce waste, make better use of natural resources and help offset part of the project’s costs through the value of the materials produced.The project forms part of WasteServ’s wider efforts to reduce Malta’s reliance on landfilling while improving how existing landfill space is used.•