This year will end on a high note for the GreenPak Cooperative Society – the scheme is well on track to record its highest recycling performance since its set-up in 2005.

More than 1,300 companies use GreenPak’s services while in the last 12 months six more local councils have joined its scheme. Between 2011 and 2012, companies registered a 15 per cent increase in waste recovery while councils recorded an 18 per cent rise on last year.

As a cooperative, the generated surplus in funds will be directed into a patronage refund at the end of the year and then distributed among members. It is estimated that for a nominal share of €50, an average member of the GreenPak Cooperative Society can expect to receive a return of €554 for this year. “The patronage refund is calculated proportionally according to the amount of business brought by a company into the cooperative, with some members expecting to receive a patronage refund of more than €2,000 for being in the cooperative,” GreenPak chief executive Mario Schembri explained.

“This focused effort is beneficial for Malta, as it incentivises companies and councils to start thinking in a way that aligns environment-friendliness with the practicalities of business acumen. It is all well and good for a company or a council to be proud of its environmental credentials. Being part of GreenPak is also about making the right decisions that will bring about an innovative, green and profitable approach for a company or council.”

He added how what was once considered a problem had become an opportunity to improve business and stimulate public participation.