The eco-contribution exemption issue will be one of the main issues to be discussed during the second annual general meeting of GreenPak Coop which will be held on 20 June.

Earlier this year, the Ombudsman, former Chief Justice Joseph Said Pullicino, declared that government’s excuses to deny eco-tax exemptions to those companies participating in organised recycling schemes were unacceptable and could lead to abuse. In a complaint initiated in 2009 by GreenPak, the Ombudsman concluded that all its members since 2006 are entitled for eco-tax exemptions or tax credits.

Last April, the government published a legal notice that enables companies that had participated in an authorised waste recovery scheme during the period 2005-2008 to claim their eco-tax.

GreenPak Coop operates one of the largest authorised packaging waste recovery schemes in Malta in line with the Waste Management (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations and has operated uninterruptedly since 2006. Today, it represents a large membership base with more than 700 members under the cooperative banner of “legal compliance at the least possible cost”.

All companies trading in Malta are obliged to recover the packaging waste generated by their business activity. Producers participating in GreenPak Coop’s scheme do not need to do this as waste will be recovered on their behalf through a nation-wide scheme.

The AGM will be held at the Malta Chamber of Commerce in Valletta. The meeting will also provide the opportunity for the coperative members to become shareholders of the GreenPak Coop, where the rights are granted to participate in important decisions such as voting and sharing of profits.

GreenPak forms part of ProEurope, whose members operate national schemes in 33 countries and are responsable for recycling millions of tonnes of waste worldwide.