Families and businesses are the government’s most important allies in the ecological transition that our country is going through. This is most evident from the environmental practices and initiatives which are being undertaken to reduce the amount of plastic waste generated, Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Planning Aaron Farrugia said.
The minister was addressing the launch of an ambitious project by Maypole Group, aimed at reducing the consumption of plastic bags in shops. This initiative will lead to a reduction of over one million plastic bags over a period of 12 months.
Minister Farrugia praised this initiative and encouraged private companies to be at the forefront of the promotion of environmental corporate social responsibility to reduce the negative impacts of unsustainable consumption, particularly in regard to single-use plastics.
“It is very gratifying to see the work and dedication of the ministry go hand-in-hand with such projects and initiatives, allowing our country to move forward in a sustainable way and push for a successful ecological transition,” Minister Farrugia said.
The minister explained that the government is implementing various ambitious measures as announced during the 2020 Budget, whereby in the year 2021 will see the prohibition of the importation of various types of single-use plastics, including plastic bags. “This will be followed by the prohibition of the sale and distribution of these products in 2022, allowing for a transition period for businesses. Initiatives such as those by Maypole serve as an important point in this regard and help the public adjust to this transition even more.”
He added that currently, work is ongoing to implement the budget measure through which will encourage shops to allocate space for selling products that serve as alternatives to plastics. “These measures, amongst others, will be introduced in our country through the single-use plastics products strategy for Malta with the aim of strengthening the element of sustainable consumption in our country. Plastic waste is increasingly problematic due to our increasing consumption. The impact is even greater due to the fact that the sea has no borders.”
