20 million bottles returned for recycling in 2 months

Jan 24 2023

Speaking to Times of Malta, Beverage Container Refund Scheme chairperson Pierre Fava said that more than a whopping 20 million bottles and cans have been returned since the launch of the scheme in November.

This made it possible for the company handling the scheme to reach the target it had set for the first two years of operation.

Launched on the 14th of November, more than 600 tons of containers have been exported for recycling, with each bale weighing between 250 and 270 kilograms.

The target, which was the collection of 70% of the total number of containers placed on the market, showed BCRS that the public’s participation was crucial to the scheme’s success.

This comes as international producers having to place containers on the market made up of at least 50% of recycled material by 2025. The scheme in Malta sees consumers pay 10c extra for drinks bought, reclaiming the money via vouchers when returning containers to be recycled.

Around 320 reverse vending machines are already operating across the Maltese islands, with the machines emptied everyday and the containers taken to the processing facility in Ħal Far to be sorted and treated.

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Up to 25,000 driving license issued to local foreigners in 5 years

Jan 24 2023

Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects Aaron Farrugia revealed in response to a parliamentary question that around 25,000 driving licenses were issued to foreigners in Malta in the past 5 years.

Responding to the Nationalist Party’s Charles Azzopardi, Farrugia revealed that the exact figure was 24,891, with 8,152 of these licenses issued to motorists who already had a license in another EU or recognised country.

Meanwhile 16,739 licenses were issued after a driving test. Despite this, the figures might not exactly tally due to the status of license holders.

The Minister said that this could be impacted by change of nationality, replacement of ID cards, revocation of licenses or due to persons no longer driving.

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PBS reveal AIDAN was disqualified from Eurovision was due to ‘unauthorised posts’

Jan 23 2023

The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) has revealed that the reason why Maltese singer AIDAN was disqualified from the Malta Eurovision Song contest was due to the breaching of articles 5.3 and 5.6 of the festival’s rules.

Regulation article 5.6 takes marketing material and promotion into consideration and regards them as strictly prohibited. It reads as follows:

“The engagement of marketing personnel, marketing officials, marketing companies or the engagement into some sort of marketing or promotional campaign or activity by the artists to promote themselves, the song, their participation, or in some way to influence the public vote is strictly prohibited. The publication of any social media post, promotion material, interviews or media presence/exposure from the announcement of the quarter finalist’s onwards is also strictly prohibited. Any breach of this clause will lead to automatic disqualification.”

Meanwhile, Article 5.3 reads:

“By participating in the Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2023, each applicant is accepting to be bound by these terms and conditions regulating this participation. All applicants undertake to follow all the contest’s regulations and PBS directives. Any breach of these regulations may result in immediate disqualification.”

Do you think that this disqualification was just?

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Aidan disqualified from Malta Eurovision Song Contest

Jan 23 2023

Popular singer Aidan Cassar, who entered this year’s Malta Eurovision Song Contest with song ‘Reġina’, has just been disqualified from the competition.

It was unveiled by TVM News that the PBS was notified by the Malta Eurovision Song Contest Team that Aidan has been disqualified from continuing to participate in the competition after breaking competition rules.

Aidan was a crowd favourite, with song ‘Ritmu’ ending up as runner-up for the previous edition of the competition.

MaltaDaily has reached out to Aidan for further comment.

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