Vehicles and vessels that transport waste need to register for a licence from the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (Mepa) to continue carrying out their activity.

The registration of such carriers starts this month and all waste carriers should have permits by mid-December. These regulations shall apply to general waste carriers, including refuse compaction vehicles, trucks, trailed vehicles and skip loaders used for the transport of non-hazardous and inert waste but excluding liquid waste carriers (Class A).

The regulations also apply to vessels used for the transport of waste at sea, including those exclusively used for carriage of waste such as dredging barges. It does not include vessels which carry waste in containers or vehicles, and which also carries general goods (Class B).

Furthermore, healthcare waste and slaughterhouse waste carriers and hazardous waste carriers (Class C) and carriers of liquid waste are also to be registered (Class D).

Registered waste carriers will be issued with a tag that should be affixed to the windscreen of the vehicle or vessel.

Only registered waste carriers will be allowed to enter authorised facilities; waste carriers not in possession of this tag after December will be subject to legal action, which may even include the confiscation of the vehicle/vessel. This registration is renewable annually upon application with Mepa.

The dates during which registration of waste carriers will be accepted are as follows.

June: Registration of Class B,C and D carriers
July: Number plates starting with A-E (Class A Carriers)
August: Number plates starting with W-Z (Class A Carriers)
September: Number plates starting with F-I (Class A Carriers)
October: Number plates starting with J-M (Class A Carriers)
November: Number plates starting with N-R (Class A Carriers)
December: Number plates starting with S-V (Class A Carriers)