Eleven European waste-recycling schemes have launched a joint manifesto aimed at successful household packaging. The manifesto explains the essence of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and the key aspects to achieving the best recycling results at a national level – both economically and environmentally – which the organisations, including Malta-based Green Pak Cooperative Society, consider as essential.

EPR means that after a product has been sold, the company takes upon itself the responsibility to finance the collection and recycling of the product, once it becomes waste. Among the key points, the manifesto speaks about the division between multiple operators within the same country. The document states that such division hinders rather than facilitates the country’s ability to achieve the designated recycling quotas.

This has, so far, been the case in Malta. A recent study published by the European Environment Agency reported that in 2010 we were generating a high proportion of waste per capita measured at 538 kilos per inhabitant.

Not only is the amount of 80 kilos higher than the EU per capita average, but Malta was also among the least countries that were recycling. With only 13 per cent of all solid waste collected being recycled, the report adds that Malta needs to make an extraordinary effort to achieve the EU required annual targets of 50 per cent household recycling by the end of 2020.

Malta’s small size makes economies of scale difficult. Compounded to this, Malta’s waste recycling infrastructure is disjointed and fragmented. If high recycling quotas are to be achieved, then Malta must move towards uniformity and towards single industry-led systems.

The manifesto says there is a big advantage for having one EPR operator, rather than multiple organisations in each country.