Updated | Bottle return scheme consultation period extended

The consultation period on the proposed plastic bottle return scheme has been extended from 4 June till the end of June, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said today, as he highlighted his hopes that an agreement could be reached on the matter.

Muscat, who was visiting the Farsons brewery on the occasion of its 90th anniversary, said the scheme - which will involve the returning of plastic bottles by consumers in the interest of reaching recycling targets - was a challenge which the government was facing in an innovative way.

(Photo: James Bianchi/MediaToday)

"With a dose of good will, we can reach a general agreement with industry on this," Muscat underscored, "And Farsons is taking a proactive role here."

Muscat - who toured various areas of the brewery and inaugurated an exhibition on its nine-decade-long history - said that Farsons' products, such as Cisk and Kinnie, had become an integral part of Maltese identity.

"In the past decade, Farsons has undertaken investments totalling €100 million, a testimony to the belief it has in Malta," he added.

Ministry requests single-use plastic framework

In addition to spearheading the BCRS, the environment ministry has also requested that the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) draw up a legislative framework to effectively address single-use plastics.

In a statement issued on Tuesday morning, the ministry said data recently published by the European Commission had shown that single-use plastic, which was often used for less than five minutes, took up to 500 years to disintegrate.

The ministry’s request comes on the back of a number of initiatives launched in recent weeks, including the BCRS, to increase the recycling of plastic and reduce its impact on the environment.

Environment minister Jose Herrera has asked the ERA to present its framework to the ministry in order for the government to launch a public consultation on addressing single-use plastics.

He said the government remained committed to the protecting the environment from plastic waste, and would be strengthening the tools available to turn this challenge into an opportunity.

Finally, Herrera stressed that the country needed tangible action being taken to improve the environment and not “disproportionate arguments based on misinformation”.

“For example, it is not the case that the waste-to-energy plant will be built to burn plastic. On the contrary, the government is announcing initiatives, including the BCRS, so that plastic bottles can be recycled separately,” read the statement.