What is your current role and organisation? How long have you been in green tech? What motivated you to join this sector?

My name is Mary Gaerty, and I am a co-founder of a company called Green Skip Services Ltd. I am the Chairperson of the company, as well as the Managing Director in my working role. I deal with the sales and business development of the company and manage two teams: the Sales Team and the Hazardous Waste Team. I have trained them, and I strongly believe that continuous training and the acquisition of knowledge are key to the continuous development of a business.

The business started by pure chance when, during a visit to our home for a cup of tea in 1991, my husband’s acquaintances asked about skips in Malta. In complete ignorance, I asked what a skip was, and they explained it to me. There were no skips in Malta at the time, and since they said that their business was not doing well in the UK, I suggested that they should consider bringing their business here to Malta.

One day, they returned and asked how they could start a business here and whether we would like to partner with them. My husband replied no, and I said, “In that case, let me see what we can do and how we can set it up.” And that is how it all started.

I approached my sister, as we had both inherited some money from my father, and together we were able to put up our 50% share of the company to purchase the trucks and the first few skips.

The first truck arrived, as did the skips. I learnt how to use a spray gun to spray the skips. I also learnt how to overcome my shyness and not become bright red whenever someone spoke to me. I learnt how to set up a company, how to work with people who were not family, and how to learn about skips. But most of all, I learnt how to become an independent person who could make decisions. I was 40 when, in 1992, our company was officially set up.

Since then, I can say that my knowledge has grown significantly, and I am now considered an expert in what I do. Being a woman in this sector was not easy; however, I never felt that this was a disadvantage. Perhaps what I said was new to many people, so they perceived me as truly knowledgeable during those early days. Being the only woman in a room full of men was not always the ideal place to be, especially 34 years ago!

During the early years, I wanted to learn as much as possible in order to grow the company. When the opportunity came to purchase land where we could start operating from, instead of the garage we were working from, our UK partners decided that they did not wish to proceed. As a result, the company’s assets and work were split between us. My sister and I continued on our journey on our own.

Rebuilding the company to its full potential required a bank loan, which we secured using the land itself as collateral. Today, we have a fully permitted facility from which we operate 365 days a year.

Was waren die schwierigsten beruflichen oder persönlichen Herausforderungen? Wie haben diese Herausforderungen Ihr berufliches Wachstum beeinflusst?

In every venture, life offers opportunities as well as disasters. Through experience, one learns to make the best of a bad situation. In our business, as in other service-based businesses, the presence of employees is of utmost importance. In our case, this is particularly true for the drivers. If they do not turn up for work due to sickness or some family or personal issue without warning, this can disrupt your work schedules. Unless you are prompt in rescheduling your work, you will have angry clients. In such cases, it is best to call the clients yourself first and advise them of the situation, rather than having them call you.

These obstacles should be viewed as challenges rather than disasters. Whenever possible, you should always be prepared with a Plan B.

Family life can also affect you, as can your own personal health and the health of your family members. At times, one must decide whether to attend an important event or stay and assist a member of the family. I call these moments priorities. What is the most important thing to do at this point in time? Somehow, however, family always came first in that decision.

All in all, I do not think there was anything extraordinary that obstructed the growth of the business. Funds can certainly be a limiting factor. Perhaps if we had had more funds in the beginning, the business would have grown more. If I had known then what I know now, the business would have grown faster and perhaps further. However, the growth of a business also depends on how much you want it to grow. If you want it to grow beyond what you can manage, then that is also your decision.

Welche Maßnahmen, Strategien oder Fähigkeiten haben Ihnen geholfen, Hindernisse zu überwinden? Gab es Mentoren, Werkzeuge oder Netzwerke, die geholfen haben?

Being a wife and mother of four children, aged between 5 and 19 when I started the company, was not easy, especially with all the work involved in running around to the various departments to register the company. Apart from that, there was the running of the home, children who needed to be chauffeured to and from school, and everything else that came with family life. My husband was a great support to my enterprise, as was my sister, with whom I partnered to start the business.

Running from one role to another became quite hectic, and, to add to it, I decided to take an evening course in Environmental Science at the University of Malta. This involved not only attending lectures but also taking part in fieldwork and completing assignments.

Attending exhibitions and fairs, as well as conferences and courses, is essential for the progression of a business, as one needs to keep abreast of everything new, whether it is equipment, ideas, or methodologies. At first, it was quite difficult to combine and plan all these activities, not to mention the expense involved. The business was being supported with my own inherited funds, but it is always difficult to decide to use that money for the business rather than for family needs. However, one must make a decision and stand by it, while tweaking it where necessary. I also learnt to prioritise what needed to be done each day when faced with such decisions. I worked not eight but, at times, 16 hours a day, doing whatever needed to be done.

Having a supportive partner is important. My husband never involved himself in the company. I did not want that, but I often consulted him when I needed a second opinion. I would also say that I remembered what my father would have suggested, having himself been an innovator in his time. I worked alongside him, although only for a brief time, and his influence stayed with me.

There were also others who encouraged me when I was unsure about a new addition to the business. Eventually, even our own children would advise me and give me their opinions. Their advice was not necessarily something I would follow, but I would take it in, consider it, and then make my own decision.

From the start, I joined the Chamber of Commerce. Although I felt insignificant at the beginning, particularly because of the lack of women in the room at AGMs and other meetings, I managed, with the help of the handful of women who were present, to make connections. They introduced me to the men in the room, and I quickly realised that it was important not to let such an introduction become a one-time opportunity.

Joining committees relevant to your work can help you build networks and establish professional relationships. You will be giving your time, but in return, you will gain important information, make valuable connections, and build the networks that can support both you and your business.

Auf welche Projekte oder Initiativen sind Sie am meisten stolz? Gibt es Auszeichnungen, Anerkennungen oder messbare Ergebnisse? Wie hat Ihre Arbeit zur Nachhaltigkeit oder zu Innovationen im Bereich der grünen Technologie beigetragen?

From the very beginning, 34 years ago, I realised that the sector needed a thorough overhaul. However, I had no idea how this could be achieved, so I started looking at what possibilities existed elsewhere. I found inspiration in journals and, later, through courses I attended in the UK.

The first course I attended resulted in the development, together with the Health Department, of a new methodology for the collection and recording of clinical waste. This was one of the first changes, followed by a series of new methodologies for other waste fractions, which were introduced across the sector in the following years.

These measures resulted in cleaner and more organised methods of waste collection. Various waste fractions started to be separated and recycled. These materials were then processed and exported for material recovery. Hazardous materials also started being collected and exported, representing a significant upgrade from the existing practice of simply dumping such materials.

Through the export of various materials, our country was able to stop disposing of materials that could instead be treated as valuable resources.

As a company, we have received several awards. The first was the Environmental Award in 1998, which was the first-ever award given for environmental achievement. Other awards followed, including Environmental Support to Industry and several similar recognitions.

Personally, I was awarded the Buonamico Award, under the patronage of His Excellency the President of Malta, by the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) for my contribution to the environment. More recently, I was awarded the Il-Mara Award for Entrepreneurial Vision in the Environment Sector by Dr Lydia Abela, spouse of the Prime Minister.

I was also accepted as a full member of the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) of the UK, a prestigious professional institution that also advises the UK Government.

However, my greatest satisfaction has come from mentoring young, aspiring men and women and supporting industries by sharing my knowledge and guiding them in their work.

Welchen Rat würden Sie jemandem geben, der in die Green-Tech-Branche einsteigt? Welche Lektionen haben Sie gelernt, die andere wissen sollten?

The environmental sector is a vast and dynamic one. The opportunities are there; one simply has to develop ideas about how to turn them into a business.

Seek assistance, but do not give away your idea. Always check whether someone else is already offering the same service or product. What you offer needs to be better or, in the case of a service, provide an added benefit. Look for opportunities and new ideas.

Original ideas must not remain static. They need to be developed and expanded so that they remain relevant and innovative. It is important to ask for assistance when required, whether through mentoring or professional advice. Network with others whom you believe could be of benefit to your enterprise. Learn how to develop your marketing, and LISTEN TO YOUR CLIENTS. They are the ones who will tell you what they need. Listen to them and then follow up by developing and expanding your business accordingly.

My final advice is to prepare yourself for a journey. If you fall and bruise your knees, walk tall just the same. The pain will eventually be forgotten, but the experience will remain.

For those who have a family, family first, always, as you may regret not making that choice years later. Good luck!