| Name | Beverage Containers Recycling Regulations 2020- LN 311/2020, under the Environment Protection Act | ||||||||||||||
| Enacted | 07/01/2020 | ||||||||||||||
| Date Implemented | 11/14/2022 | ||||||||||||||
| Containers Covered |
Beverages containers between 100 ml to 3 liters in metal, glass, and PET. Excludes refillable containers. |
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| Beverages Covered |
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| Beverages Not Covered |
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| Amount of Deposit |
10¢ EUR |
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| Fees and Taxes |
Handling Fees [1]:
Administration/Producer fees [2]:
Producers and importers must pay a one-time registration fee and the yearly fee associated with the outlet's retail area. |
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| Recovery System | Reverse vending machines (RVMs) and collection service from retailers | ||||||||||||||
| Program Success |
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Details
The Beverage Container Refund Scheme Malta Lt. (BCRS) operates the national 10¢ deposit-refund system in Malta. BCRS assumes extended producer responsibilities (EPR) on behalf of producers, importers, and retailers of single-use beverage containers. Regulations require all producers, importers, distributors, retailers, and catering undertakings to participate in the beverage deposit system. All administrative fees are paid to the Beverage Container Refund Scheme Malta. Handling fees are paid to producers. [4]
As of May 2023, over 300 reverse vending machines (RVMs) have been installed in publicly accessible locations such as supermarkets, beverage retail outlets, and public recycling hubs. Consumers may return their containers to RVMs for vouchers they can redeem at retail shops where beverages are sold. Retailers may also accept returns individually through a manual system and arrange for BCRS to pick up the returns, but BCRS encourages using the RVMs as it increases efficiency. [5]
Malta has declared a recycling redemption goal of 70% by the end of 2023, a goal that will increase by 10% each consecutive year to reach a goal of 90% by the end of 2026. [6] Malta aims to close the cycle of single-use beverages in line with National and EU environmental commitments. During the program's first quarter in 2023, a total of 36 million containers were returned out of the 48 million containers available in the market, resulting in a 76% redemption rate for beverages within the deposit system. [7] Within the first year, BCRS Malta announced an 80% redemption rate, 10 percentage points above the expected redemption rate goal.
Footnotes
[1] "Global Deposit Book 2022." Reloop Inc. November 2022.
[2] "Producer Participation Conditions." BCRS Malta. Last accessed May 17, 2023.
[3] "BCRS Malta 2023 Report Update," BCRS Malta, Linkedin. February 29, 2024
[4] Beverage Containers Recycling Regulations, Subsidiary Legislation. Legislation of Malta. July 3, 2020.
[5] "Beverage Container Refund Scheme." BCRS Malta. Last accessed May 17, 2023.
[6] See Footnote 1.
[7] "BCRS Recovered 3 Out Of 4 Bottles Used In The First Quarter Of This Year." Gaddari, Ibrahim. Lovin' Malta. May 5, 2023.
[8] See Footnote 3.
Last Updated on March 13, 2024.