Plastic is present in many aspects of our daily lives and represents a pivotal element in our economy. On the other hand, the biggest challenges with plastics are the presently low rates of reuse, recovery and recycling when compared with other recyclables, including paper, metals and glass. Most plastic waste streams result in being disposed of in a landfill or incinerated or even worse inadequately disposed of, ending up in our oceans. Plastics in our oceans tend to only breakdown into microplastics, endangering the food chain of underwater organisms and eventually end up in our own food chain.

In 2019, the EU adopted Directive 2019/904, commonly referred to as the ‘Single-Use Plastic Directive’ which aims at reducing the impact of certain plastic products on the environment, by means of enacting a number of effective measures targeting such products. This Directive promotes a circular approach that prioritises sustainable and non-toxic re-usable products and re-use systems rather than single-use products.

In its efforts to pursue such obligations, the Government announced a new measure during the 2020 budget speech, whereby the importation, production, sale and distribution of certain single-use plastic (SUP) products and plastic bags will be prohibited. In this regard, the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA), in collaboration with the Ministry of the Environment, Climate Change and Planning (MECP), have drafted two Legal Notices that will reflect the following changes:

As from 1 January 2021

      • The placing on the market of single-use plastic products and oxo-degradable plastic shall be prohibited.
      • The products covered by this prohibition will include; cotton bud sticks and straws (except those used for medical purposes), plates, beverage stirrers, sticks to be attached to and to support balloons, food containers made of expanded polystyrene, beverage containers made of expanded polystyrene including their caps and lids and cups for beverages made of expanded polystyrene, including their covers and lids.
      • The importation, intra-Community acquisition, and manufacturing for the circulation on the market in Malta, in the course of a commercial activity, of any lightweight plastic carrier bags with a wall thickness below 50 microns shall be prohibited.

As from 1 January 2022

      • Any supply of lightweight plastic carrier bags with a wall thickness below 50 microns intended for distribution, consumption or use on the market in Malta, in the course of a commercial activity, whether in return for payment or free of charge shall be prohibited.
      • Reusable plastic carrier bags, biodegradable and compostable plastic carrier bags as well as very lightweight plastic carrier bags (below 15 microns) used for hygiene purposes and primary packaging for loose food, are exempt from the above-mentioned prohibitions.

As from 3 July 2024

      • The placing on the market of beverage containers with a capacity of up to three (3) litres (i.e. receptacles used to contain liquid, such as beverage bottles including their caps and lids, and composite beverage packaging including their caps and lids, etc.) shall be prohibited, if their caps and lids do not remain attached to the containers during the products’ intended use stage.
      • Such products may be exempted if they are made from glass or metal or intended and used for special medical purposes.

ERA is working hand in hand with other competent Authorities to ensure that adaquate protection is given to our environment. Cooperation and education are key to ensure a better, sustainable environment for present and future generations, but this cannot happen without small behavioral changes that we all need to make in the path towards a healthier and richer environment in our own lifetime which will translate into a collective wellbeing enjoyed by everyone.

For further information you may wish to contact ERA via the customer care service.

18 December 2020

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It-tneħħija gradwali ta’ ċerti Prodotti tal-Plastik mill-2021:

Il-plastik huwa preżenti f’ħafna aspetti tal-ħajja tagħna ta’ kuljum u jirrappreżenta element kruċjali fl-ekonomija tagħna. Min-naħa l-oħra, l-akbar sfidi marbutin mal-plastik huma r-rati baxxi ta’ bħalissa ta’ użu mill-ġdid, irkupru u riċiklaġġ ta’ dan il-materjal meta mqabbla ma’ materjal riċiklabbli ieħor, inkluż karta, metalli u ħġieġ. Il-biċċa l-kbira tal-iskart tal-plastik jintrema fil-miżbliet jew jinħaraq jew saħansitra agħar jintrema b’mod inadegwat. u jispiċċa fl-oċeani tagħna. Il-plastiks fl-oċeani tagħna ħafna drabi jiddegradaw biss f’mikroplastiċi, u jpoġġu f’periklu l-katina alimentari tal-organiżmi ta’ taħt l-ilma u eventwalment jispiċċaw fil-katina alimentari tagħna stess.

Fl-2019, l-UE adottat id-Direttiva 2019/904, dik li msejħa d-“Direttiva tal-Plastik b’Użu Wieħed” li għandha l-għan li tnaqqas l-impatt ta’ ċerti prodotti tal-plastik fuq l-ambjent, billi tistabilixxi numru ta’ miżuri effettivi mmirati għal prodotti bħal dawn. Din id-Direttiva tippromwovi approċċ ċirkolari li jagħti prijorità lil prodotti li jistgħu jerġgħu jintużaw li huma sostenibbli u mhux tossiċi minflok prodotti li jintużaw darba biss.

Fl-isforzi tiegħu biex isegwi dawn l-obbligi, il-Gvern ħabbar miżura ġdida waqt id-diskors tal-baġit 2020, li permezz tagħha l-importazzjoni, produzzjoni, bejgħ u distribuzzjoni ta’ ċerti prodotti tal-plastik li jintużaw darba (SUP) u basktijiet tal-plastik se jkunu pprojbiti. F’dan ir-rigward, l-Awtorità għall-Ambjent u r-Riżorsi (ERA), b’kollaborazzjoni mal-Ministeru għall-Ambjent, it-Tibdil fil-Klima u l-Ippjanar (MECP), fasslu żewġ Avviżi Legali li se jirriflettu l-bidliet li ġejjin:

Mill-1 ta’ Jannar 2021

      • Se jkun projbit It-tqegħid fis-suq ta’ prodotti tal-plastik li jintużaw darba biss u plastik oxo-degradabbli.
      • Il-prodotti li se jkunu projbiti jinkludu; stikek tal-cotton buds u straws (minbarra dawk użati għal skopijiet mediċi), platti, stirrers tax-xorb, stikek li jitwaħħlu ma’ balloons, kontenituri tal-ikel magħmulin minn polistirene espandut, kontenituri tax-xorb magħmulin minn polistirene espandut inklużi l-għotjien u tazzi tax-xorb magħmul minn polistirene espandut, inklużi l-għotjien tagħhom.
      • L-importazzjoni, l-akkwist intra-Komunitarju, u l-manifattura għaċ-ċirkolazzjoni fis-suq ta’ Malta, matul attività kummerċjali, ta; kwalunkwe basktijiet ħfief tal-plastik bil-ħxuna taħt il-50 mikron se jkunu pprojbiti.

Mill-1 ta’ Jannar 2022

      • Kwalunkwe provvista ta’ basktijiet ħfief tal-plastik bi ħxuna taħt il-50 mikron li huma intenzjonati għad-distribuzzjoni, konsum jew użu fis-suq ta’ Malta, matul attività kummerċjali, kemm jekk bi ħlas kif ukoll mingħajr ħlas se tkun projbita.
      • Basktijiet tal-plastik li jistgħu jerġgħu jintużaw, basktijiet tal-plastik bijodegradabbli u kompostabbli kif ukoll basktijiet tal-plastik ħfief ħafna (taħt il-15 mikroni) użati għal skopijiet ta’ iġjene u ppakkjar primarju ta’ ikel li jkun waħdiet, huma eżentati mill-projbizzjonijiet imsemmija hawn fuq.

Mit-3 ta’ Lulju 2024

      • It-tqegħid fis-suq ta’ kontenituri tax-xorb b’kapaċità sa tliet (3) litri (jiġifieri reċipjenti wżati biex ikun fihom likwidu, bħal fliexken tax-xorb inklużi l-għotjien tagħhom, u l-ippakkjar tax-xorb kompost inklużi l-għotjien tagħhom, eċċ.) ser ikunu pprojbiti, jekk it-tappijiet u l-għotjien tagħhom ma jibqgħux imwaħħlin mal-kontenituri matul l-użu intenzjonat tal-prodotti.
      • Prodotti bħal dawn jistgħu jiġu eżentati jekk huma magħmula minn ħġieġ jew metall jew maħsuba u wżati għal skopijiet mediċi speċjali.

L-ERA qed taħdem id f’id ma’ Awtoritajiet kompetenti oħra biex tiżgura li tingħata protezzjoni xierqa lill-ambjent tagħna. Il-kooperazzjoni u l-edukazzjoni huma kruċjali biex niżguraw ambjent aħjar u sostenibbli għall-ġenerazzjonijiet preżenti u futuri, iżda dan ma jistax iseħħ mingħajr bidliet żgħar fl-imġieba tagħna li lkoll għandna nagħmlu fit-triq lejn ambjent aktar b’saħħtu u aktar sinjur f’ħajjitna stess li se jissarraf f’benessere kollettiv li jgawdi kulħadd.

Għal aktar informazzjoni tista’ tikkuntattja lill-ERA permezz tas-servizz tal-customer care.

18 ta’ Diċembru 2020