A scheme which will offer shops up to €20,000 to make the transition to plastic-free and reusable packaging alternatives was launched on Tuesday.

The eco-friendly retail investment grant will cover up to 50% of expenses incurred in moving away from single-use packaging to a more sustainable method of consumption.

“A lot of products from cheese to detergents come packaged in plastic, and through this scheme we want to support companies implement their own project to make their shop more sustainable,” Miriam Dalli, minister responsible for sustainability said.

Addressing a press conference at ReRoot, Malta’s first plastic-free shop, Dalli said she hoped to support more retail outlets to move in this direction in the future.

She explained that apart from bulk product dispensers, companies could look at investing in new technologies that enabled more sustainable consumption.

“We want to see businesses choose what to invest the money in because they know best what would work for them,” she said.

The grant applications open from today up until November and accessible through Malta Enterprise.

Environment minister Aaron Farrugia, who also addressed the press conference said that urgent action needed to be taken to reduce plastic waste.

“Single-use plastic that gets thrown out does damage to the environment for hundreds of years, and also has an economic impact,” he said.

He explained the primary aim behind these schemes was to support businesses to be at the forefront of the transition to a green and circular economy.

“It is important that sustainable consumption becomes an integral part of our economy and a norm in services we utilize everyday," he said.

The government at the beginning of this year stopped the importation of plastic cotton bud sticks, cutlery, plates, straws, beverage stirrers, balloon sticks and polystyrene containers and cups.