Long awaited legal notice vindicates GreenPak members

Government yesterday published a Legal Notice that enables companies that had participated in an authorised waste recovery scheme during the period 2005-2008 to claim back their eco-tax.

“During this period, GreenPak was the only MEPA authorised scheme for the recovery of packaging waste,” said Ing. Mario Schembri, CEO of Green Dot Malta Limited, operators of the GreenPak scheme. “It is companies that were members of our scheme during this period that stand to be rewarded for their commitment towards the environment.”

Long regarded as a bone of contention, GreenPak had since 2005 been claiming that companies participating in its scheme were entitled to be exempted from the payment of eco-tax since they were financing the recycling of packaging they place on the market.

Even though provided for at law, government was however reluctant to release cash. It was only recently, after the Ombudsman expressed his opinion in favour of GreenPak’s claim, that the matter began to be resolved.

Last January, in what is considered by many as a major turning point in Malta’s quest to put waste recycling on track, the Ombudsman, former Chief Justice Dr. J. Said Pullicino, declared that government’s excuses to deny eco-tax exemptions to those companies participating in organised recycling schemes were unacceptable and could lead to abuse. In a complaint initiated in 2009 by GreenPak, operators of the largest waste recovery scheme in Malta, the Ombudsman concluded that its members have since 2006 been entitled for eco-tax exemptions or tax credits.

Those companies who believed in doing the right thing and signed up with GreenPak are now being rewarding for their commitment. “Six years ago, it was only GreenPak that was urging industry to comply with the recycling regulations,” said Ing. Schembri.

“The common wisdom prevailing at the time, and as was being echoed by certain quarters, was ‘to do nothing and wait’. It is clear now for all to see that ‘recycling today and benefiting tomorrow’ holds true for those companies who believed in GreenPak and did the right thing, right away.”

Starting today, GreenPak is advising companies who were members during the four year period of 2005-2008 to compute the amounts that they have paid in eco-tax on packaging during 2005-2008 and keep such information readily available. Soon application forms will be issued in order to claim back eco-tax refunds.

To improve Malta’s environment through good business practices, GreenPak has always insisted that on the day a producer signs up to GreenPak, as a MEPA approved scheme, Government is immediately obliged to issue credits and exemptions.

“We are constantly guided by the belief that what we are doing goes beyond the simple adherence to regulations. Our aim is to increase Malta’s waste recycling effort and to avoid any EU fines in this regard,” said Ing Schembri.