Another Gaffe by GreenPak

GRTU Malta Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprises has always stated and will continue to state that Eco Contribution legislation enacted in September 2004 remains the most haphazard and illogical tax ever placed on the Business community.

With this consistency GRTU has strived with the relevant Authorities for these last years to make sure that Businesses are not made to double pay for their environmental obligations.

Statements made by Greenpak are not true. Enterprises that chose to join GreenPak back in 2006 effectively were paying double for their environmental obligation, paying GreenPak and also Eco Contribution. These same enterprises are now only being refunded for the period 2005 to 2008, a percentage of what they contributed to Greenpak and not even a full Eco Contribution Refund. This is specifically outlined in Legal Notice 158 of 2011.

Packaging waste producers (importers) who joined Green MT after 1^st July 2009 are exempt from the payment of Eco Contribution as outlined by Legal Notice 84 of 2010. This Legal Notice is of course applicable to one and all. GreenPak members were in the doldrums in respect to refunds until Legal Notice 158 of 2011 was issued in May 2011. That is definately the truth.

If you were a producer and did not join a Scheme sometime between 2006 and 2009, MEPA, as the Competent Authority, has issued an administrative Compliance fine of Euro 50 per year for Compliance. Enterprises that joined GreenPak in those years paid much more in fees to Greenpak, and now can only expect to take back a percentage of the fees paid to Greenpak and nothing in respect to Eco Contribution payments in the same period. This percentage refund only if you were an Eco Contribution payer. If not the enterprise surely paid more in GreenPak fees than the administrative penalty of €50 imposed by MEPA today.

As for the sweeping statement that ‘these penalties ran into thousands of Euros' it is to be noted that those producers who did not comply in 2010 and were not members of any Authorised Packaging Schemes were liable to pay Euro 100 per tonne for 2010 Compliance.

"Such statements by GreenPak are a mere attempt of placing GRTU and Green MT in a bad light. Green MT is today by far Malta's National and largest Authorised Waste Packaging Scheme, with well over 1100 members" states Green MT Ceo, Joe Attard.

GRTU has always insisted with the Authorities that a fair and level playing field had to be established for all sectors of industry. Every importer places packaging in the market. Whilst GRTU has been working on Packaging waste legislation with consistency and honesty, GreenPak continues to try and thrive on untruths. GreenPak is aware of the reality.

The statements issued recently by GreenPak are not only outright lies but only try to distabilise a growing commitment by the Business community to further take up responsibility of their own packaging waste.