Under 2% of the income from containers collected by BCRS machines is being donated to charity by the public, according to data released by BCRS.
The scheme’s first quarterly report shows that while over 33 million containers were collected through the scheme’s reverse vending machines during the first three months of the year, the equivalent of €3.3 million worth of vouchers, consumers only donated €64,500 to the Community Chest Fund since the scheme began in November. This figure stood at €43,000 back in March.
BCRS machines allow consumers to either print vouchers that can be redeemed at local retail outlets or else forfeit their voucher and directly donate the 10c container deposit to the Community Chest Fund. Some animal activists have found more creative ways to use the scheme to solicit donations, collecting recyclable containers and using the vouchers to purchase cat food.
In total, three out of every four containers sold in Malta throughout the first three months of the year were collected through the scheme, with over 1,500 tonnes of material being recycled.
The scheme aims to collect 70% and recycle 65% of the total weight of all containers on the market throughout its first year of operation. These targets are set to increase to 90% and 85% by 2026. According to BCRS data, the scheme’s current figures are at 76% and 71% respectively.
An average of just over 403,000 containers were collected each day so far this year, with figures showing that this grew to almost 450,000 throughout March. In total, almost 61 million containers were collected since the scheme opened in November.
The overwhelming majority of the containers collected are deposited through the scheme’s machines dotted throughout the island, making up 92% of all collections. The remaining 8% are collected manually, mostly through catering outlets such as restaurants and bars.
Northern residents most keen
A quarter of all bottles collected are from residents in Malta’s northern region, despite the region only being home to 18% of Malta’s total population. On the other hand, residents in Malta’s western region, home to 13% of Malta’s residents, are the least actively involved in the scheme, contributing under 10% of all container deposits.
What happens to unredeemed deposits?
BCRS was established as a not-for-profit organisation and had previously pledged that all profits from the scheme “will be reinvested in the scheme to continue making the system as efficient as possible”.
Unredeemed deposits are not currently being utilised- BCRS spokesperson
A spokesperson for BCRS told Times of Malta that unredeemed deposits are not currently being utilised, with a recent €2.5 million investment in jumbo-sized machines being raised directly by BCRS Malta. “BCRS Malta has invested further in the new machines, on top of the initial outlay of €18 million.
Unredeemed deposits do not come into the equation at this point, and ways of reinvesting these to make the scheme more efficient will only be considered after the first year of operation,” the spokesperson said.