TMID Editorial: A point well made
A stunt took place at the entrance to Valletta this week, with a public entity really bringing to the fore the litter problem we have here in Malta.A transparent box was filled with garbage, on display for all to see. Certainly something that nobody
A stunt took place at the entrance to Valletta this week, with a public entity really bringing to the fore the litter problem we have here in Malta.
A transparent box was filled with garbage, on display for all to see. Certainly something that nobody would expect to see, with the Xummiemu mascot pictured on it.
This 'tower of trash', so to speak, was an awareness raising exercise, a good one at that. The Maltese government posted images of this on its Facebook page. "Do you imagine yourself passing by this pile of illegal waste as you head towards the capital city?" the post read. It said that an average of 830kg of illegal waste is collected daily from each locality in Malta. "Don't litter. Report it. Call 1718 or download the 'Clean and Upkeep' app," the post read.
That's a lot of illegal waste. Way too much. Its appalling that there is so much illegally dumped waste around the country. The 'stunt' so to speak, drove the message home.
The Xummiemu mascot, and the campaigns that go along with it, are a fantastic way to incentivise people, especially youths and children, to keep Malta clean.
After all, keeping Malta clean is beneficial not just for residents, but also in the image we want to project as a country. Surely we don't want visitors and tourists to leave with a bad taste in their mouths, so to speak, of having seen a dirty looking Malta.
But there are issues which give Malta a shabby look that can easily be solved. The first is the garbage collection times in some localities. It wouldn't be the first time that when walking in St Julian's, garbage bags are seen piled high. Its the same in some other localities. The garbage collection times need to be fixed in some localities in order to ensure garbage isn't left out for hours on end.
In addition, better enforcement is needed against those who take out the wrong bag on the wrong day. It is an issue that still persists. Perhaps giving local councils some form of enforcement arm could help in this regard.
When it comes to planning policy, a change is needed to ensure that apartment buildings being approved include a room in which garbage is stored for collection. That way, we can reduce the amount of garbage bags kept on the street. As things stand, it is impossible to tell who, from a block of apartments, is responsible for taking out rubbish overnight, or the wrong bag on the wrong day. At least this way garbage will be stored and separated in a room, thus eliminating that issue.
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