During its recently held annual general meeting, Green Pak Cooperative Society distributed refunds generated by its activities during 2012 to its co-op society members.

Operating across Malta and Gozo, Green Pak Co-op manages the collection of packaging waste and organises its recycling. The professionally run co-op receives its funds from companies whose trade contributes to the generation of packaging waste.

Since the co-op operates on a not-for-profit basis, any remaining surplus in funds at the end of each year are given back as a Patronage Refund to the very companies who finance the operations of Green Pak and are members of the society. The amount of refund is worked out proportionally according to the amount of money paid by a company into the cooperative.

Green Pak CEO Mario Schembri said: “Every company or individual using the services of Green Pak can benefit from being a society member, no matter the size of their business. The cooperative’s statute ensures that equal representation is given to both large and small organisations in all important decisions.

“At the AGM, we also presented the 2013 Business Plan and it was very clear why it is in one’s best interest to become a society member in the co-op and to have a voice in important decision-making – not least partaking in the surplus funds generated at the end of the year.”

Green Pak, a Malta Environment and Planning Authority-authorised scheme, is the largest waste recovery scheme in Malta, with over 1,300 companies. Thirty-four local councils have entrusted Green Pak with the waste management of their locality.

The organisation is also very active internationally, especially earlier this year, when it helped set up Expra, the not-for-profit international organisation promoting the concept that it is industry itself that should take up recycling, not place the burden on Government or local authorities.

For the past decade, Green Pak has also been one of 35 national produce responsibility systems operating under the PRO Europe umbrella.

During the meeting, David Stellini was elected for the first time on the committee, with Martin Borg, Edward von Brockdoff, Gaetano Buttigieg, Pierre Fava, Dennis Zammit Cutajar, Andrew Cutugno and Adrian Salomone retaining their posts.

For further information on Green Pak’s Cooperative Society, call 2166 1083 or e-mail info@greenpak.com.mt.