Pictured above: The Hon. Min. Dr. Chris Cardona Minister presenting the Patronage Refund to Mr. Louis Cardona, Managing Director of International Merchants (left) in the presence of GreenPak’s CEO Ing. Mario Schembri

GreenPak Cooperative Society distributed refunds generated by its activities during 2012 to its co-op society members proving once more that GreenPak is a professionally run packaging recycling scheme on a not-for-profit basis. This event took place during the Annual General Meeting held recently.

Operating across Malta and Gozo, GreenPak Coop manages the collection of packaging waste and organises its recycling. The Coop receives its funds from companies whose trade contributes towards the generation of packaging waste. Any remaining surplus in funds is at the end of each year given back as ‘Patronage Refund’ to the very companies who finance the operations of GreenPak and are members of the society.  The amount of refund is worked out proportionally according to the amount of money paid by a company into the cooperative.

Ing Mario Schembri, GreenPak’s CEO, said: “Every company or individual using the services of GreenPak can benefit from being a society member, no matter the size of their business. The cooperative’s statute ensures that equal representation is given to both large and small organisations in all important decisions. At the AGM we also presented the 2013 Business Plan and it was very clear why it is in one’s best interest to become a society member in the cooperative and to have a voice in important decision-making – not least partaking in the surplus funds generated at the end of the year.”

GreenPak, a MEPA authorised scheme, is the largest waste recovery scheme in Malta, with over 1,300 companies, while 34 Local Councils have entrusted GreenPak with the waste management of their locality. The organisation is also very active internationally when earlier this year it helped set up EXPRA, the not-for-profit international organisation promoting the concept that it is industry itself who should take up recycling and not place the burden on Government or Local Authorities. GreenPak has for the past decade also been one of 35 national producer responsibility systems operating under the PRO Europe umbrella.

At the AGM, Mr. David Stellini was elected for the first time on the committee with Messers Martin Borg, Edward von Brockdoff, Gaetano Buttigieg, Pierre Fava, Dennis Zammit Cutajar, Andrew Cutugno, and Adrian Salomone retaining their posts.

For further information on GreenPak’s Cooperative Society, one can contact GreenPak on 2166 1083 or via e-mail on info@greenpak.com.mt.