GRTU on attack over waste claims

The GRTU has lashed out at Labour spokesman Leo Brincat, saying it was unacceptable that both he and Malta Today newspaper should come up with “unfounded allegations” about its subsidiary, Green MT.

The Malta Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprises – GRTU on Tuesday said the allegations had no basis whatsoever and were based on false information and “sheer fabrication”.

It said Green MT, Malta’s national authorised packaging waste scheme, totally denied the allegations that recyclable waste recovery figures for 2009 figures were inflated to enable its members to get exemptions from eco-contribution payments.

On Monday, Mr Brincat, Labour spokesman for the environment, called for a “serious investigation” into the allegations, first made by Malta Today. He said he had been informed that the alleged illegalities had been reported to Mepa and to the government’s waste management company WasteServ and they had known about them since the end of May.

Green MT, the GRTU said, paid for each and every waste recovery made in each local council, following direct instructions from the government.

Members of Green MT placed 4,393 tons of packaging waste in the market during the period. Green MT recovered 3,362 tons, representing a recovery rate of 77 per cent. Out of this total, 2,483 tons came from the collection of the grey bags in local councils, a recovery rate of 74 per cent. All these figures are certifiable by WasteServ, the GRTU said.

WasteServ said its auditing process applied to the waste managed within its materials recovery facility.

When there were suspicions about information provided by the contractor responsible for the collection of the waste, it informed the local council, the contractor’s client, and submitted the information to the authorities.