Call for refillable beverage containers

Friends of the Earth has called on the government to push for a 'two-way' bottling system for all beverage containers should Malta not obtain a derogation from the EU to retain glass bottles for soft drinks.

The system would entail collecting and refilling the beverage containers.

It would mean much less waste and besides, Malta already had an excellent track record in the two-way system using glass bottles, the organisation said.

The alternative would be the loss of several hundred jobs and the prospect of adding over 80 million plastic bottles to the already large volume of waste, FoE claimed.

FoE said it would like to see the introduction of a reliable and effective deposit or refund system for beverage containers, and the installation of the necessary infrastructure for effective recycling at the end of their useful lives.

The government should also introduce incentives for companies that sell in packages or materials that are easy to recycle in Malta, or which would fetch a high value overseas and therefore can be exported for recycling at the end of their use.

"Having beverages bottled in two-way containers would avoid the problems related to free trade that the EU wants to protect and at the same time protect the environment."

Earlier this week, The Times reported that the two main local beverage companies were considering producing drinks in one-way packaging.

Both Farsons and General Soft Drinks maintained their preference for returnable glass bottles, and admitted that the change was a complex one which could potentially deal a blow to business.