No stoppage on glass bottles as plastic makes its entry

Kurt Sansone

As Malta’s largest bottler starts rolling out its first crates of soft drinks in plastic bottles and cans, the new packaging system will not be replacing the returnable glass bottle system. At least not for now.
Farsons yesterday announced it will start supplying its range of soft drinks – Kinnie, Pepsi and 7UP and their diet equivalents – in plastic PET bottles and cans.
The plastic bottles come in three sizes, half a litre, 1.5 litres and two litres while cans will be in their standard 33cl size.
Ray Grech, Chief Marketing Officer Farsons, said the company will not be stopping its glass bottling line for soft drinks, answering to queries by MaltaToday over concerns from shopkeepers and bar owners on existing stocks of glass bottles.
“It does not mean that our decision cannot change in the future but as long as there is a demand for soft drinks in glass bottles, we will continue producing them,” Grech said.
It is highly expected that the more convenient and economically feasible plastic bottles will eventually replace glass bottles.
“Shops need not worry because the glass bottle returnable system will still be running concurrently. They will be paid any deposits they have made on glass bottles purchased,” Grech said.
Malta obtained a transition period from the European Commission to phase out regulations that allowed the sale of soft drinks only in returnable glass bottles. The regulations limited competition since no soft drinks could be produced or imported in plastic bottles or cans. This was deemed unacceptable by the EU.
The two major bottlers, Farsons and General Soft Drinks invested heavily in new equipment to gear up for the eventuality as the EU’s transition period comes to an end this week.

Any comments?
If you wish your comments to be published in our Letters pages please click the button below