Minister Herrera voices commitment toward reducing plastic waste

Malta “actively” seeks innovative solutions and works towards the introduction of the Beverage Container Refund Scheme by the end of 2019, Minister for the Environment, Sustainable Development and Climate Change José Herrera said when addressing the fourth United Nations Environment Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya held 11-15 March.

Minister Herrera also confirmed that Malta steps up its efforts and is committed to issuing a strategy that will tackle more single-use plastic items, when speaking before the assembly, bearing the theme, “Innovative solutions for environmental challenges and sustainable consumption and production”, according to a press statement by the government’s Department of Information (DOI).

Outlining the strategy, the minister said that the ten most single-use plastics that were identified as a significant threat to our marine environment need to be tackled. He also said that in the framework of this strategy, the government would apply a phasing-out approach in eliminating some plastic products while incentivising more environmentally-friendly alternatives.

Malta also signed the Ministerial Declaration of the 2019 United Nations Environment Assembly whereby in principle signatory countries reaffirmed, “that poverty eradication, changing unsustainable and promoting sustainable patterns of consumption and production and protecting and managing the natural resource base of economic and social development are the overarching objectives of and essential requirements for sustainable development,” according to the DOI release.