Leading private sector representatives yesterday signed an agreement that should pave the way for a packaging waste recycling scheme to bring Malta in line with the EU's packaging waste directive that comes in full force in January.

The agreement was signed by the Chamber of Commerce and Enterprise, the Federation of Industry, the Chamber for Small and Medium Enterprises - GRTU and the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association.

Environment Minister George Pullicino said the agreement was an important step forward for waste recycling but was also significant because it brought the private sector together to deal with a common challenge. Packaging waste, including anything from plastic bottles to bubble wrap, already amounts to about 70,000 tonnes of our waste stream but is expected to increase dramatically on the expiry of a derogation Malta had obtained from the EU on its ban of beverages in plastic and aluminium containers.

Soft drinks in glass containers, particularly, are expected to become history when the new regime is in place, replaced by the more convenient plastic and aluminium containers. The details of the scheme still have to be fleshed out as yesterday's agreement only lays down a framework, the Chamber of Commerce's vice president, Norman Aquilina, said, speaking on behalf of his colleagues.

In fact, the actual scheme is unlikely to meet the January 1 target. However, Mr Pullicino said talks were underway with Wasteserv for stop-gap solutions specifically aimed at the new stream of plastic bottles.

Industry sources had told this newspaper that a likely target would be March 2008, even though Mr Aquilina yesterday said he was not in a position to give any dates.

A private company had already launched such a scheme but the business sector objected, complaining that the firm would be given a monopoly. This forced the government to launch its own alternative in July, which will now, however, be shelved following yesterday's agreement.

Come January, Malta should be recovering 47 per cent of its package waste and recycling 41 per cent.

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