Ġnejna Bay was given White Flag status on Tuesday, becoming Malta’s eighth “plastic free” beach.

A White Flag beach is fully cleaned from plastic and other non-degradable waste at regular intervals by a team of environmental guardians.

Other zero-plastic beaches in Malta include Wied iż-Żurrieq, Golden Bay, and Mġarr ix- Xini.

International conservation NGO Ocean Alliance announced it would be certifying a number of swim zones on the island as ‘white flag’ swimming areas earlier this year.

The 'white flag' designation is issued by the NGO to beaches it has certified as being litter-free. It is not to be confused with 'blue flag' status, a conservation badge of honour granted by the Foundation for Environmental Education.

NGO chief executive Kristijan Curavić told reporters around 100 tonnes of rubbish was also being cleared from the seabed around the island by a team of specialised divers.

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