Metal mountains of crushed cars at the airport waste facility could be reduced by the introduction of a metal recycling programme to cut back on the pile-ups.

Photographs taken last month showed mounds of scrapped vehicles.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Public Works and Environment said last week that the volume was due to a break in the construction of the containers used to remove the cars.

He added that the ministry was devising “beautification efforts” to mitigate the impact of the environmental eyesore.

Owners of private cars that cannot be sold on or are “written-off” can take their vehicles to the facility for disposal.

The government website said that cars were crushed within 24 hours of delivery.

They are then sealed in containers, or “cells”, which are shipped out to sea and dumped overboard.

This week the government spokesman confirmed that the build-up of mangled metal was a result of “a temporary pause in constructing waste disposal cells” — but insisted that the delay was “part of the normal operational cycle and is being addressed”.

He added: “The Ministry of Public Works and Environment can confirm that the facility has no operational issues and continues to manage bulk and scrap metal waste according to established protocols.

“The visible accumulation does not reflect any failure in the system but rather the careful and deliberate pace required to meet environmental standards.”

The spokesman pointed out that the containers “must safely and securely house compacted cars before they are deposited overboard under regulated practices”.

“Once the disposal cell is constructed, the build-up of old vehicles is expected to decline shortly thereafter,” he said.

The spokesman said that the airport site was large enough to house the volume of cars being delivered daily to the location, and that “the team manages incoming waste effectively”.

He added that the Government was devising an on-island metal recycling programme to cut back on the pile-up.

The spokesman said: “These initiatives will support more sustainable waste management in the future.

“The ministry appreciates the public's understanding and remains committed to high standards of environmental stewardship.”