Green MT: Leaders Waste Packaging Compliance

Today Green MT has reached the astounding number of 850 members totalling 16,000 tons of seperated waste yearly market placement! Making Green MT by far the largest.

From April till today Green MT, GRTU's fully owned subsidiary, has seen a tremendous increase of producers taking on their environmental obligations in relation to LN 277/2006. Lenghty discussions with the Authorities – the Approving Body, the Malta Environment and Planning Authority and the Ministry for Resources and Rural Affairs – have led to improved enforcement by MEPA's  Environment Waste Directorate in relation to this Environment Legislation.

Waste Packaging producers, thus importers and traders who import products to Malta for the first time with the intention of placing them on the market, are liable to recover 55% of Packaging Waste placed on the market or 70% if they are currently exempt from Eco Contribution. Following recovery of the material, on behalf of its members who place packaging waste on the Maltese market, the Scheme then carries out sepration, baling and eventually delivery for final recycling of the material. The Scheme in turn provides its members individually with a Compliance Certificate.

All producers are liable in the same manner at law be it if they place a significant tonnage on the market or a minimal amount. Producers are liable according to the tonnage they place. Green MT incessantly campaigns and insists that producers and importers need to accept the extended producer responsability concept. Through this collective effort, the Business Community should be proud that it is working hand in hand and providing means which are making collection, separation and export of their own Packaging Waste possible.

Green MT services to great efficiency 41 localities. We aim to provide a service which is organised and which is sensitive to the economies of scale. For this to be successful a lot of cooperation is needed from a number of stake holders for Schemes to be able to function and provide sterling services to Local Councils.

"GRTU took a bold decision to build a not-for-profit Waste Management Compliance Scheme of its own to help in the compliance with environmental legislation and alleviate the burden on the business community. We strongly believe that business organisation should not simply grumble and propose but they should also act directly to get work done and be of service to small business owners. We found a lot of difficulties and we still face much unfair and unjustified criticism from individuals who out to know better. We are however greatly satisfied that 41 Local Councils of all political shades have chosen to utilise the services of Green MT to meet their green waste obligations and that 850 enterprises are today Green MT members. Today more than 70 contractors work for us and WasteServ depends on Green MT for almost 80% of the recyclable waste it handles. Government authorities are now aware that Green MT leads." stated Vince Farrugia, Chairman Green MT.