Preventing Pollution
During the past few years, Malta has been faced with increasing pressure, from both the European Commission as well as from the Maltese Government, to become more environmentally aware.
The growing demand for increased environmental awareness in all sectors resulted in big steps forward in the collection, sorting, recycling and exporting of many wastes.
Now that the running in has passed and the people are aware of the importance of managing their waste, legal notice LN 277 of 2006 on the packaging waste shall apply and be enforced.
Minimising Waste
The Waste Management (Packaging & Packaging Waste) Regulations, L.N. 277 of 2006 shall apply to all packaging put on the market in Malta and to all packaging waste. Whether it is used or released at the industrial, commercial, office, shop, service, household or any other level.
Regardless of the material used, unless such packaging is expressly excluded from the application of these regulations. Packaging includes all the products made from any material of any nature that is used for the containment, protection, handling, delivery and presentation of goods, from raw material to processed goods, from the producer to the user to the consumer, including non-reusable items.
LN277 of 2006
All packaging put on the market must comply with all the essential requirements as stated in the legislation.
These regulations shall not apply to packaging not intended for putting on the market in Malta.
Any company that imports or manufactures packaging material is obliged according to law, to collect, recycle and recover the packaging that ends up at the consumer end.
Companies are responsible for both the packaging that is left at the retailer and wholesaler as well as for the packaging that is generated through the transportation of the products.
The obligations should be carried out either individually or through joining an authorised collective compliance scheme.
Producers who are obliged by the Packaging and Packaging Waste regulations must register with MEPA.
Companies are to recover a specified amount of waste and prove that they have met their annual obligations to recover and/or recycle packaging waste.
Each producer is obliged to register at and provide the Competent Authority with the necessary information from the previous year as is required in the application for registration.
If a producer chooses to make use of an existing authorised packaging waste recovery scheme, he shall be required to submit to the Competent Authority proof of his membership in the approved compliance scheme. Enforcement action and prosecution may be taken against any company which avoids its obligations e.g. by not registering or joining a scheme by the due date, by not taking reasonable steps to meet its recovery and recycling obligation, and/or by providing inaccurate data.
Statistics
The legislation 94/62/EC of the European council obliges us to meet the targets mentioned below and in the targets and statistics tab.
By December 2013, Malta will have to start recycling a minimum of 60% of all its glass and paper waste, 50 per cent of all metals, 22.5% of plastics and 15% of all its waste which includes wood.
To meet these obligations and to avoid unnecessary fines read through LN277 of 2006.