Stress on education in revamped litter rules campaign

Another attempt to enforce the litter regulations introduced at the beginning of last year is being made after the system of so-called green wardens fell through as it was too expensive to run. The idea had been to enforce litter regulations in a way similar to the traffic warden system, with local councils hiring the services of private warden companies. However, the system hardly took off because local councils were not prepared to hire green wardens for Lm9 an hour.

This time round, the Environment Ministry and the Malta Environment and Planning Authority are training a group of employees from the government-owned Industrial Projects and Services Limited (IPSL) - mostly former drydocks workers - as environmental field inspectors who will enforce the regulations in urban and rural areas, a spokesman for the Environment Ministry told The Times. Since IPSL workers are already on the government pay roll, the service of environment field inspectors is expected to cost less than half the rate charged for the defunct green warden service.

"The uptake by local councils is expected to be much larger under the new system," the spokesman said. The term "warden" is also being discarded as more emphasis is being placed on the educational aspect of reducing the all-too familiar sight of wastepaper, bottles, cans, plastic bags, cigarette butts and pet faeces on the streets, without the need to dish out fines draconically to make the system financially viable.

During an education campaign held in recent weeks that took the form of patrols, inspectors came across over 30 cases of littering, including by pets. At this stage, litter louts have not been fined but informed of their legal obligations and told to clean up.

The inspectors had noted big improvements in public awareness about cleanliness. In Sliema, for example, over 25 people were seen cleaning up their pets' litter on one morning, the spokesman said.

While in the countryside, they noticed heavy dumping of scrap and inert waste in environ-mentally-sensitive areas and have reported offenders to the police.

"Hopefully, the educational campaign being undertaken will achieve its effects," the spokesman said, warning that when the campaign is over, litter louts will start being fined.

The new system, expected to be launched officially soon, also involves a warden agency, Aurelia Asset Protection Limited, which Mepa has contracted to help with its management.

Local Councils Association president Michael Cohen said when contacted that the green warden system hardly ever took off. Mr Cohen said any efficient system that upholds public cleanliness should be encouraged.