Updated November 22 with BCRS statement
The number of reverse vending machines for recyclable beverage containers spread across the islands is set to increase after more than a million receptacles were collected in just one week.
A total of 320 Beverage Container Refund Scheme (BCRS) machines were switched on on November 14.
Some 40 tons worth of empty containers have been collected since. The containers are being separated and will then be exported for recycling BCRS Malta said on Monday.
The new system nudges people to recycle by introducing a 10c deposit for drink containers which can then be reclaimed if they return their containers to a reverse vending machine.
The company aims for 70 per cent of its containers to be recycled within two years.
The scheme itself has been set up to partially fulfil the implementation of an EU directive on plastic packaging.
BCRS Malta is a non-profit consortium made up of Malta’s biggest beverage operators and regulated by Circular Economy Malta, a government entity.
“All profits made by BCRS will be reinvested in the scheme to continue making the system as efficient as possible,” a spokesperson for the company told Times of Malta.
The spokesperson said that the location of the new RVMs has still not been decided as the company waits for data to inform its decision. BCRS will invest in more RVMs in the most popular locations, they added
On Tuesday, the company clarified that it operates on a not-for-profit basis and claimed that the locations of the new machines "are already earmarked across the islands".
People hoarded containers
People had hoarded containers in preparation for the scheme, meaning that only skewed data is available at the moment, they said, adding that once the initial rush is over, BCRS can choose which locations are best.
Several people have expressed frustration over finding RVMs full when arriving with their empty containers at an RVM site.
Times of Malta spoke to one man in Birżebbuġa awaiting his turn with two full bags of empty bottles.
“This is my third attempt here, If I don’t manage this time I’ll throw the bottles into the sea,” he joked.
The company is also set on enhancing the overall logistics of the recycling system, the company statement said.
Small businesses including restaurants and bars have voiced their concerns over infrequent container pickups and consequentially issues over storage.