PN MP Rips Into Beverage Machines And Warns 10c ‘Tax’ Reducing People To Beggars
Nationalist MP Justin Schembri has come out strongly against the new beverage recycling scheme, warning it has “reduced people to beggars” by increasing the market price of recyclable bottles by 10c across the board.
“I feel the government has reduced people to beggars to recoup what is rightfully theirs,” Schembri said.
“It introduced a 10c tax on every beverage, and if you want to get the money back, you must leave home, find a functioning machine and wait in a queue. You will then receive a coupon, which you can exchange when shopping from a selection of shops.”
Introduced earlier this month, the scheme is operated by BCRS, a private company set up by the associations for beverage producers, importers and retailers.
While over a million bottles were recycled in the first week, the scheme has proven to be controversial, with many consumers finding the machines full up upon trying to use them and machines also subject to littering.
Schembri said the scheme is impractical to people who already recycle their waste at home and proposed that the machines give people 10c per bottle without the market price of beverages increasing.
“That would incentivise more people to recycle,” he argued. “However, it is shameful to turn this into an obligation. Oblige me to recycle, sure, but don’t oblige me to fool around with these machines.”
Have you used the new beverage recycling machines yet?
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