Returnable vacuum: this is how Malta will reuse bottles and beverage containers made of glass, aluminum and plastic

    The Maltese government is developing a strategy that will try to recover and recycle almost 90% of the single-use containers placed on the market every year.

    He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him

    The Government of Malta is adopting new measures to tackle the problem of plastic and glass waste disposal thanks to a national environmental plan which includes policies aimed at proper waste management and the achievement of the zero emissions target by 2050.





    The revolutionary initiative in this field that will kick off in the coming weeks is the Beverage Container Refund Scheme (BCRS): it is a new returnable vacuum system for plastic, glass and aluminum bottles and cans which will be active throughout the national territory and will directly involve citizens.

    When the program officially goes into effect, the retail price of certain beverages packaged in single-use bottles, cans or glasses (water, fruit juices, soft drinks, beer, ready-to-drink coffee, alcoholic beverages with an alcohol level that does not exceed 5%) will increase by 10 cents: this is a price of deposit charged by beverage producers to retailers and then passed on to consumers.

    Returnable vacuum: this is how Malta will reuse bottles and beverage containers made of glass, aluminum and plastic

    The presence of this logo on the container will allow consumers to understand whether or not it is a product inserted in the "returnable vacuum" circuit (© BCFS)

    But, through the restitution of the vacuum, the consumers they can get back the 10 cents spent, which will be transformed into shopping vouchers redeemable at the supermarket checkout. It will be possible to return the bottle or can directly to the supermarket where it was purchased or, alternatively, to deposit it at one of the over 160 vending machines installed in shops, kiosks and public parks.

    (Read also: Why 2022 was proclaimed the year of glass, reminding us of the importance of returnable void)

    Companies and offices that have vending machines will receive "redemption cards" to receive the equivalent of the deposits directly into the bank account. BCRS will take care of collecting the company vacuums once a month for free. In all cases, the collected containers will then be sorted according to the material that constitutes them and packaged for recycling.



    Returnable vacuum: this is how Malta will reuse bottles and beverage containers made of glass, aluminum and plastic

    ©BCFS

    The system of returnable, already used in other countries of the world (such as in Germany) or by private entities that have increased the price of take-away drinks to incentivize the return of empties or to encourage customers to bring their reusable glass or bottle from home (as the giant Starbucks is doing), it will be added to the existing vacuum systems and functioning on Maltese territory.


    The BCRS goal is quite ambitious: be able to collect and recycle up to 90% of all single-use beverage containers placed on the domestic market by 2026 - or approximately 230 million containers per year.


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    Sources: Times of Malta / BCRS

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