Legal basis

• The Waste Packaging Directive was transposed in Maltese law in April 2004 as Legal Notice 98 of 2004. This L.N. states that the Competent Authority shall in consultation with industry and producers shall take measures to ensure that the following targets are met

By the 31st December 2004:

• 27% as a minimum and 65% as a maximum by weight of all packaging waste resulting from packaging and packaging material put on the market is recovered.
• 21% as a minimum and 45% of a maximum of packaging material put on the market by recycled with a minimum weight for glass of 30%, 31% by weight for metals, 5% by weight for plastic and 30% for paper and board contained in packaging waste.

By 31st December 2009:

• 51% as a minimum and 65% as a maximum of packaging material put on the market are recovered.
• 45% as a minimum and maximum of packaging material put on the market by recycled with a minimum weight for glass of 60%, 50% by weight for metals, 15% by weight for plastic and 65% for paper and board contained in packaging waste.

The law introduces the concept or producers responsibility, where the manufacturer, importer, filler etc are responsible to recover, sort and recycle the packaging of their products that end up in the waste stream. They are also allowed the opportunity to transfer their obligations to an authorized waste recovery scheme, such as the one being operated by GreenPak