You surely must have noticed the Green Dot™ mark on the packaging of most of the products you buy. The Green Dot™ is that round symbol with the circular arrows found on drink bottles and cans of beer, iced teas, wines, spirits, water, sports drinks, squashes, juices. It is also found on wrappers, bags, boxes and containers of many food products including chocolate, snacks, cereal bars and pasta, as well as on packaged goods such as clothing, stationery, perfumes, toiletries and compact discs. But what does it mean?

What does the Green Dot™ mark stand for?

The Green Dot is a trademark used on packaging that notifies consumers, retailers and authorities that payment has been made to a national packaging recycling company to collect, sort and recycle packaging waste.

Companies trading products in European Union countries need to comply with the EU’s Packaging Directive, which requires producers to recover the packaging waste created by their activity. By putting the Green Dot trademark on their products, companies show their commitment to recycle packaging.

The Green Dot concept has become an integral part of a sustainable and resource conserving environment policy in Europe. It has changed the packaging and waste market significantly and has made people more conscious of the problems posed by waste in both industry and society. It has led to a reduction in packaging and, as a direct result, considerable quantities of primary energy are saved and greenhouse gas emissions are avoided.

In all countries where Green Dot is active, industry uses less packaging material and waste materials are reused, recovered and recycled. There has been a substantial reduction of packaging waste consigned to landfills and an increase in the proportion of packaging waste that is recycled.

In Malta, Green Dot is represented by GreenPak. One of its roles is to oversee that products carrying the mark are properly registered. GreenPak is also fully authorised by MEPA to operate a Compliance Scheme for the collection and recycling of packaging waste on a nation-wide basis and is actively recovering tonnes of packaging waste discarded at present.