Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulations Legal Notice LN 277 of 2006

Non fulfilment of your obligations is a criminal offence – The packaging and packaging
waste regulations have been in place since 2006 and it is more than high time
that those producers/ importers who in any way place packaging waste on the
market complied to the legislation.

GRTU has been at the
forefront of  making sure that importers
and SME s who place packaging waste on the market comply to the said
regulations as it is not fair that a number of producers continue to fail to
meet their obligations or state that they are self complaint without in actual
fact doing anything at all.

Since 2006 a number of
initiatives were taken by the Competent Authority , MEPA to make sure that
‘free riders' become either members of 
Authorised Waste Compliance Schemes , or else actually effect self
compliance.  Despite these initiatives,
and although more could have been done, it seems that a number continue to
breach the said legislation which is in itself a criminal offence

GRTU continues to urge
producers who have faltered and have as yet 
either not joined a Scheme or effected self compliance to take the
matter seriously as those caught out of the loop will be penalised from date of
inception of the legislation, like many others have been already in the past.
There is no reason at all to stay outside the loop and in so doing making sure
that others share the burden or create unsustainability of the system. Further
more since ‘free riders' place packaging on the market and Schemes are
collecting most recyclables from  Local
Councils through grey bag collections and Bring in Sites, Schemes are actually
forking out funds for providing this service without being compensated for
collecting packaging waste emanating from these 'free riders.'

Breaching the legislation
can be very costly. Whilst being a criminal offence at law, there are financial
penalties which far outweigh the advantages of being a 'free rider'.

GRTU urges all those
producers/ importers who have as yet not complied to the legislation to meet
their obligations by either joining an Authorized Packaging Waste Scheme or
else self complying to the legislation. Of course doing so now does not release
any producer from facing penalties for past years since 2006 as stipulated by
the Competent Authority, MEPA. There were many producers who complied or paid
fees to comply to the legislation whilst to date many ‘free riders' take this
legislation with a pinch of salt and do not comply. It is high time they acted
and comply.

Green MT , is a fully owned
subsidiary of GRTU and operates an Authorized Packaging Waste Compliance Scheme
permitted by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority. Further information
of how to comply to the legislation by becoming a producer member of the Scheme
can contact our offices on 2149 6965 during office hours.