BCRS Malta Ltd. is the licensed operator for Malta’s Beverage Container Refund Scheme.
As a result of the introduction of the Beverage Container Refund Scheme by the Government of Malta effective from 1st April 2022, every Single Use Beverage Container in scope which is made available on the market from 1st April 2022, shall be subject to the payment of a deposit of €0.10c at the point of purchase. Upon return of the single use beverage container at a Reverse Vending Machine or a designated redemption location, the consumer shall be entitled to a refund of the €0.10c deposit that had been paid, making the introduction of the scheme cost neutral.
Based on the success stories from other countries who introduced a deposit refund scheme, it is anticipated that the introduction of the beverage container refund scheme in Malta will help reduce the amount of littering in Malta and Gozo, boost recycling levels for relevant materials, offer the enhanced possibility to collect high quality recyclable materials in greater quantities and promote recycling through clear labelling and consumer messaging.
BCRS Malta Ltd. was incorporated by the Malta Beverage Producers Association, the Malta Beverage Importers Association and the Malta Beverage Retailers Association with the obligation, amongst others, to assume the collective extended producer responsibility on behalf of producers, importers and retailers of single use beverage containers and take the necessary measures to achieve beverage container collection targets in terms of the Beverage Containers Recycling Regulations 2020 – LN 311/2020.
BCRS Malta Ltd. was granted a license by the Resource Recovery and Recycling Agency, as the regulator of Malta’s Beverage Container Refund Scheme, to establish and operate the national beverage container refund scheme in Malta in fulfilment of the legal and mandatory obligations set out to all participants within the regulations. As mandated by the Regulations, Producers, Importers, Distributors, Retailers and Catering Undertakings making available, or intending to make available, on the market any beverage container shall register with BCRS Malta Ltd., by providing BCRS Malta Ltd. all the details that it may require, for the successful operation of the beverage container refund scheme.
BCRS Malta Ltd is investing €15million in a privately funded infrastructure for the collection of single-use beverage containers, making producers and consumers jointly responsible for the recycling of beverage container waste, towards a higher national effort in recycling and litter reduction.