Vehicles and vessels that transport waste now need to register for a license from the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA) to keep carrying out their activity. These measures come as the Authority steps up its efforts to regulate the transport of waste from the producer to permitted facilities that are authorized to accept the relevant category of waste.

This registration system will assist the Authority in ensuring that wastes are handled in the appropriate manner, and that wastes are carried to authorized facilities that are competent in the management and disposal of such wastes. Ultimately, the objective of this registration is to help the prevention of waste escaping into the environment, and contributing towards a cleaner, less wasteful and more sustainable society.

The registration of such carriers starts this month, with the objective of permitting all waste carriers by mid-December. These regulations shall apply to the following categories of waste carriers:

Class A - General waste carrier including refuse compaction vehicles, trucks, trailed vehicles and skip loaders used for the transport of non-hazardous and inert waste but excluding liquid waste carriers (which should be classified as Class D) Class B - Vessels used for the transport of waste at sea. This includes vessels exclusively used for carriage of waste such as dredging barges. It does not include vessels which carry waste in containers or vehicles, and which also carries general goods Class C - Healthcare Waste and Slaughterhouse Waste Carriers Class D - Hazardous Waste carriers other than Class C and carriers of liquid waste

Registered waste carriers will be issued with a tag that should be affixed to the wind screen of the Vehicle or Vessel. Only registered waste carriers will be allowed to enter authorised facilities; waste carriers not in possession of this tag after December 2008 will be subject to legal action, which may even include the confiscation of the Vehicle/vessel. This registration is renewable annually upon application with MEPA.

The dates during which registration of waste carriers will be accepted are as follows:

June 2008 Registration of CLASS B,C & D Carriers July 2008 Number plates starting with A-E (CLASS A Carriers) August 2008 Number plates starting with W-Z (CLASS A Carriers) September 2008 Number plates starting with F-I (CLASS A Carriers) October 2008 Number plates starting with J-M (CLASS A Carriers) November 2008 Number plates starting with N-R (CLASS A Carriers) December 2008 Number plates starting with S-V (CLASS A Carriers)

The Authority is committed to ensure that the concept of sustainability will not remain a theoretical concept but a measure that improves the people's quality of life.