Drinks falling under this category include soft drinks, energy drinks, flavoured sparkling water, carbonated electrolyte replacement drinks, carbonated tea, sparkling fruit juice and nectars.

The direct enforcement action was carried out in Rabat, Naxxar, Msida, Qormi, Zebbug, Marsa and Guardamangia.

A Mepa statement said that the deposit refund scheme defined by the legal notice is intended to prevent the generation of several tones of packaging waste yearly and so reduce the amount of waste disposed of in landfills.

Mepa, being the regulatory body for environment matters, will continue in its efforts to promote the reduction, reuse and recycling of waste, the statement concluded.

Asked to comment about yesterday’s exercise, Rural Affairs and Environment Minister George Pullicino said that the idea behind the enforcement of the legal notice was to make businessmen realise that the government was serious about the issue of waste collection.

“We mean business on this matter. The private sector must realise that they must contribute towards the safeguarding of the environment,” Mr Pullicino said.