St Paul's Bay council warns it will block access to BCRS machines

The St Paul’s Bay council has warned it will block access to BCRS machines in the locality if people continue dumping rubbish around them and if the operator fails to clean the mess.

In an angry post on Facebook, mayor Alfred Grima warned that the council is prepared to take “drastic steps” if the situation is ignored.

“The negative effect on the environment and the residents is forcing the local council to consider taking drastic steps, including blocking these machines, in the event that the authorities remain passive,” he said in his post.

A total of 320 Beverage Container Refund Scheme (BCRS) machines were switched on across the island on November 14. Over 40 tonnes worth of empty containers were collected within a week, with the demand being so high that the company said it will deploy more machines in the near future.

The system nudges people to recycle by introducing a 10c deposit when buying drink containers which can then be reclaimed if they return their containers to a reverse vending machine. The company aims for 70 per cent of its containers to be recycled within two years. 

The scheme itself has been set up to partially fulfil the implementation of an EU directive...