<P>Transport packaging factories generate a large amount of wastewater that contains residuals of starch glue. These residuals could be used as substrates for microorganism growth and enzyme production. In this study, β-amylase production using a new strain<I>Paenibacillus chitinolyticus</I>CKS1 was optimized using wastewater from a Serbian transport packaging factory. The optimization of β-amylase production was carried out using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). A Central Composite Design under the RSM with four interacting parameters (incubation time, inoculum concentration, casein hydrolysate concentration and yeast extract concentration) was employed to identify the optimal conditions for maximum β-amylase activity (334.20 U L<SUP>−1</SUP>) as 62 h of incubation with 2.40% inoculum, 2.02 g L<SUP>−1</SUP>casein hydrolysate and 3.98 g L<SUP>−1</SUP>yeast extract. High performance liquid chromatography showed that the<I>P. chitinolyticus</I>CKS1 strain hydrolyzed starch to form maltose as a major product. Due to the application of wastewater as an inexpensive material for enzyme and maltose production it may be considered that the economic and eco-friendly aspects of this method are very promising.</P>