Implementing Packaging Waste Directive in Malta

"In Malta industry has, by far, the highest percentage of recovered waste. It is also a fact that industry managed to reduce, reuse and recover mainly by recycling a lot of its packaging waste.

"The percentage, which is already high, will continue to increase due to economic reasons, besides environmental ones. This is mainly due to industry's continuous efforts to keep its competitive edge." FOI council member and Environment Committee chairman Godwin C. Micallef said this in his address to the seminar on the implementation of the European Packaging Waste Directive in Malta, jointly organised by GreenPak and ITUT on Tuesday.

Mr Micallef stressed that industry has always shown a clear readiness to acknowledge and discuss the common responsibility related to packaging and packaging waste:

"The main companies in Malta are aware of the need to contribute to the recovery of their packaging waste and continue to invest considerable amounts of time, energy and money to develop this aspect of their industry.

"In several cases they have become a catalyst for changes in attitudes of their suppliers and their employees."

Since 1994, the FOI, through the active involvement of the FOI Environment Committee, has been recommending that local authorities seriously tackle the problem created by imported products.

Imports represent the bulk of consumer products and so the bulk of packaging waste. "Industry is hopeful that common sense will prevail and that the authorities will not implement measures just for Maltese industries and ignore the imported items or, worse still, fail to enforce the regulations."

The FOI has always been in favour of a Green Dot Scheme or a deposit scheme on packaging and has been against any eco tax. The FOI believes that the eco-contribution in Malta would be used, as in the case of other countries, as a pure fiscal taxation instrument and would fail to stimulate or target recycling of the taxed packaging waste.

When referring to the Eco-Contribution Commission set up by Government on the initiative of employers' organisations to study waste recycling schemes, Mr Micallef clarified that all stakeholders were represented on the commission and that the commission chairman was appointed by Government.

Mr Micallef explained that various schemes were submitted to the Eco-Contribution Commission, two of which were schemes for the beverage industry. The commission finished its work in November 2004 and its final report was submitted to the Minister of Environment and Rural Affairs last February.

MEPA was responsible for studying all applications forwarded to it, Mr Micallef added. The FOI is pleased to hear that the application by GreenPak has just been approved and hopes that the other schemes will be evaluated without undue delay.

Mr Micallef appealed to the authorities not to procrastinate on this matter any further. The 2007 deadline is soon approaching and no system, which has been adequately tested, is yet in place.

Citing Finland's experience where a deposit scheme was launched approximately ten years ago, Mr Micallef stated that it was envisaged that initially there would be various problems when any scheme would be eventually implemented in Malta.

"Legal Notice 158 of 1998 will only remain in force until December 31, 2007. Who is going to control the imports of such packaging after that date? It is a fact that these same regulations were flouted by a manufacturer in Malta and notwithstanding being taken to court it still carried on with production in plastic bottles for a number of years."

He also referred to the current problem arising as a result of imported plastic bags and explained that local manufacturers are strictly controlled by local legislation, while various consignments are imported without control and traceability. As regards biodegradable plastic bags it is only now that the administrative authority is requesting certificates from accredited bodies.

After quoting one of the 12 recommendations drawn up by the Eco-Contribution Commission relating to the identification of suitable land for waste management initiatives, Mr Micallef appealed to the authorities: "The private sector is prepared to invest heavily in waste management schemes. Let it work, do not hinder it and it will deliver."