BCRS: 283 Million Beverage Containers Returned in 2025, Minister Says

Environment Minister Miriam Dalli has confirmed that the Beverage Container Refund Scheme (BCRS) is working well, with the majority of bottles and containers being returned by the public.

The information was given in Parliament following a question by MP Ian Vassallo, who asked how many bottles were not returned through BCRS machines in 2025.

The Minister said that around 283 million beverage containers were placed on the market in 2025 under the BCRS scheme. More than 85% of these containers were collected and accepted by BCRS machines. This means that a similar number of refund vouchers were issued to users.

She also explained that over 98% of the vouchers issued were redeemed, showing that people are actively using the system to get their refunds.

The Minister clarified that BCRS machines only record the number of rejected attempts, not the number of rejected bottles. This is because the same bottle can be tried more than once, or rejected by one machine and later accepted by another.

According to the Minister, the high collection and refund rates show that the BCRS system is working efficiently. She said the government remains committed to improving the scheme further.

The Minister thanked the public for their cooperation and encouraged everyone to continue making full use of the deposit system. She also reminded people that a special service is available for elderly and vulnerable individuals, provided through the Cleansing and Maintenance Division.

#MaltaDaily