Claudia Calleja
Vandals' weekend strike at beach-cleaning campaign
Photo: Jason Borg
As a campaign to tidy up beaches is under way, plastic wheelie bins in Għadira Bay were damaged and charcoal bins stolen over the weekend.
Resources Minister George Pullicino deplored these acts as he highlighted the government's efforts to replace the rusting steel drums littering beaches with 1,200 wheelie-bins.
The ultimate idea is to have a waste separation system on beaches and at each point there will be two bins: a grey one for recyclable materials such as paper, plastic and aluminium and a green one for other waste.
The beaches will be equipped with charcoal bins where leftover barbecue material can be disposed of to ensure it is not dumped in the plastic bins and melt them.
Standing in front of Għadira Bay, Mellieħa, Mr Pullicino outlined efforts to improve beaches, among them the installation of 140 new ladders around the coast.
Malta's beaches and swimming spots recently placed among the best in Europe in terms of cleanliness and hygiene standards.
The EU Bathing Water report showed swimming water in Malta was of a high quality as the country scored a compliance rate of 98.9 per cent, which surpassed the EU average of 96 per cent.
Despite these positive results more efforts had to be made to keep beaches clean. Mr Pullicino explained improvements were being made so that all beaches would be cleaned more regularly.
Until last summer, beaches were divided into two classes for cleaning purposes: blue flag beaches that included the sandy beach in Qawra, St George's Bay and Għadira Bay were cleaned regularly between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. while other beaches were cleaned once daily.
This summer, beaches are divided into three classes. Class A beaches include the three blue flags beaches as well as Pretty Bay in Birżebbuġa and Golden Bay. Public cleaners will be clearing the beaches and bins between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. Cleaners have been provided with a uniform, complete with sun hat, and sun block and their presence is expected to act as a deterrent to litterers.
Class B beaches include smaller popular bays such as Ġnejna, Armier and Mistra. These beaches and bins will be cleaned twice daily while other beaches will be cleaned once daily, Mr Pullicino explained.
He called on bathers to respect beaches and not to litter. After all, the most a person had to walk to get to a bin was about 15 meters, he said. He also called on local councils to utilise the warden system in order to ensure beaches in their localities were kept clean.
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12 Comments
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Joseph E Briffa
Jun 17th 2009, 21:30
I am afraid that for some people at war with the world vandalism is in their blood. These characters are beyond persuasion and the only way to teach them a lesson is to fine them heavily say not less than Eur1 000. If the act is repeated then a month behind bars could do the trick. Not that they will be converted but at least it will teach them that crime does NOT pay. The beaches have to be supervised round the clock, especially after dark Why not have wardens working on shifts 24/7? Why doesn't one see wardens after dark?
P. Montebello
Jun 17th 2009, 20:45
Mr Galea, thanks for your advise. Unfortunately, I do not have enough soil to use up all the leaves etc.
I would like to ask anyone interested who would need these leaves to use as per Mr Galea's advise, to contact me through the editor/ Times coordinator so that we can make the necessary arrangements to pass on these leaves, branches etc.
Joseph V. Grech
Jun 17th 2009, 16:59
Vandalism is very wrong. I hope the perpetrators get caught and receive harsh sentences. Hopefully there will be condemnation from our political leaders. The situation being what it is - including in tourism - we can ill afford to vandalize in an effort ?? to disrupt the beach cleaning campaign. Let's all get our priorities right please - national interests first and foremost!
Mark Vella
Jun 17th 2009, 16:24
With or without Charcoal Bins, BBQ's will still be done.
At least for the some Maltese these will serve good to dispose of there charcoal. There is nothing better than leaving a clean beach to be enjoyed by yourself and others on other occasions. I can't stand dirty rocky beaches where people leave the junk behind them!
The same applies for picnics in winter
Maybe installing CCTV might put of these thiefs (unless the CCTV cameras are vandalised too!!)
W Spencer
Jun 17th 2009, 15:55
@ Neville Calleja............your second paragraph is quite true, so no offence taken,
with regard to your third paragraph, you should !
Galea. L
Jun 17th 2009, 15:30
P. Montebello
Good job and not in any way to criticize you but to help.
You should bury the leaves and branches in your soil and it will do it a lot of good.
Others do it in composting bins but is very easy just to dig a hole in your soil.
You could also include fruit peel and other unused portions of vegetables.
Of everyone does this they would have a better quality soil and less waste for landfills.
Neville Calleja
Jun 17th 2009, 14:18
@Mr Berkeley
Your language is offensive for Maltese nationals, to say the least. Generalising from a kleptomanic few to the whole population is very offensive.
Trust me, if I had to generalise many of the practices that some of YOUR natives do to the whole population you would feel the same. Assuming that you may be British in origin, could conclude for example that most British men are either pot-bellied foul mouthed beer addicts or yobs with nothing to do in life but beat (or knife) the life out of innocent bystanders for kicks.
But we don't - particularly if we were living in the UK.
Thanks.
v.pulis
Jun 17th 2009, 12:35
What category does Ghajn tuffieha beach fall under?
As for enforcing the law in regard to vandalism/ theft why not put a couple of plain clothes policemen/women on the beach (in swimming trunks or bikinis if need be)?!
Lee Micallef
Jun 17th 2009, 12:17
Tony by your comment >
"As an ex-pat, I immediately presumed that the bins were guaranteed to be vandalised or stolen (its in the locals' blood u see !)"
Are you saying that the locals are thieves and vandals ? and theres nothing wrong with having a BBQ on the beach so long as they clean up after themselves.
Iam i right in thinking you are british living in Malta ?
P. Montebello
Jun 17th 2009, 12:12
This comment is not stricly speaking dealing with the bins on the beaches.
But it does deal with the problem of separating waste. It's good to provide containers with the aim of separating. But, how often are they going to be properly cleaned by the authorities? Yesterday I went to the separation site in front of the homemate: I had three banana boxes of leaves and similar waste since I was pruning a bouganvilla. The person who seemed in charge told me that it is full and I had to go to Luqa. Talking this over with friends, I got to know that this is not the first time that this amenity was "full".
It seems that the general public is doing its duty: separating and carting their waste to these centres. Meaning that it is the management who is neglecting its duty. And please do not tell me that it was an unexpected success!! Precisely, the management has to adopt a new attitude to support that unexpected success. Otherwise what are they being paid for?
Eric Camilleri
Jun 17th 2009, 12:08
A few points of observation besides condemning this vandalism. The Ministry should be applauded for the bins initiative however is it necessary to have the bins located in the middle of the beach ? Is it such a huge task for people to walk up to the bins if they where located at the very back of the beach. In this summer heat it is definitely not healthy to be anywhere within 5 metres from those bins, let alone sunbathing besides them. As for polluters (litterers) I have to say that from what I have always witnessed it is common to see this wildly and arrogantly happening during the famous beach parties and language student throngs, besides the annoying headache music and alchohol orgies. Speaking of pollution it is sincerely hoped that no such deafening music will be allowed as from this summer.
Tony Berkeley
Jun 17th 2009, 11:49
I honestly admire the authorities in their endeavours to improve and maintain clean beaches.
These are some of the best assetts Malta can offer the tourists. The placing of wheelie bins on the beach is superb idea and to be applauded. Not so sure about charcoal bins...
bar-ba-cue'ing on the beach, a popular activity in Malta is not a good idea, and providing facilities only encourages the habit. As an ex-pat, I immediately presumed that the bins were guaranteed to be vandalised or stolen (its in the locals' blood u see !), so why doesn't the minister place a couple of police officers on the beach, even for the first two weeks of the scheme, and anyone caught doing this would earn himself a month in prison. This will surely deter people from this uncivilised practice of undoing any progress made for the good of the country. Also the bins could be hot-stamped MALTA-GOVERNMENT and anyone caught holding these also earns him/herself a month in jail. This is the only way forward which these locals understand.