It seems that the social media has been inundated with a flood of images showing the dramatic effect the world's waste problem has had on our surrounding ecosystem, from plastic-filled fish to islands made of rubbish floating in the middle of the ocean.
For 70 years, the world's use of plastic has grown exponentially from humble beginnings to a point where humanity now produces roughly its own weight in plastic every year. In a dramatic way, our growing waste problem reflects the catastrophic disregard of the consequences of our choices for the world around us.
On a local level, Malta is certainly facing many challenges: to put it bluntly, the country seems to have a mounting waste problem. On 23 January, a Eurostat report ranked Malta as second on a graph of EU countries measuring the generation of municipal waste in member states in 2016, with our country producing 647kg of municipal waste per person - over 150kg above the European average of 480kg.
Only 20,000 out of 283,000 tonnes - a measly seven per cent - of generated waste was recycled here last year and it comes as no surprise that people have started taking action - with local community groups committed to cleaning up our country appearing all over the island.
Communities taking action
Environmental group Zibel, has been able to collect over 33 tonnes of waste since it began organising clean-ups around the island in 2017. Since its inception, Zibel has collected approximately five tonnes of plastic, a mammoth amount, considering the extremely lightweight properties of the material. Its aim is to create a platform for a growing community that raises awareness on poor waste management practices and educates people about sustainable measures, giving the public an opportunity to make the world a greener place. Zibel is just one of the environmental groups who are pro-actively working to raise awareness, organise clean-ups and help better Malta's litter problem, such as Get Trashed and Malta Clean Up.
"Plastic pollution has become a global pandemic, both on land and in our vast oceans," environmental activist Ghislaine Calleja said. Referring to the assertion of famed sailor and proponent of sustainable economies Dame Ellen MacArthur that there will be more plastic in our oceans than fish by 2050, Ghislaine explained that "toxic chemicals leach out of plastic as it weathers away and destroys natural habitats. Apart from humans, no living creature knows what plastic is and where it comes from, so it can be mistaken for food or shelter which could well be fatal."
Ghislaine is quick to point out that although plastic can be recycled, it never really decomposes. "Recycling is not the most sustainable option because it requires transport and energy and thus ends up using resources," she explained.
"Glass, metal, and paper are pretty straightforward to recycle, but when it comes to plastic, it's a bit more complicated. It has been estimated that, in Malta, only five per cent of all plastic is actually recycled. Beyond that, all recycled waste is baled and exported to other countries, increasing our carbon footprint." Action Planet, an exhibition seeking to raise awareness about environmental issues affecting sustainability both in Malta and the work is running till March 18th at St James Cavalier.
What happens to the items you recycle?
As the biggest collector of recycled waste on the island - covering close to 70 per cent of all local councils across Malta and Gozo - GreenPak is responsible for emptying the colour-coded bins at bring-in sites, as well as collecting recycled waste from households.
This is then taken to Wasteserv's material recovery facility - the Sant' Antnin waste treatment plant - where it is sorted - either mechanically or by hand, packed into large bales and sold on a monthly basis to the highest bidder, to be exported for further treatment, mainly in European and Asian countries.
Since WasteServ was established in 2002, the volume of waste separated for recycling has increased dramatically. Back in 2002, only 560 tonnes of separated materials were treated at the Sant' Antnin plant but in 2013, source-segregated recyclable materials totalled 19,735 tonnes.
Last year, GreenPak successfully collected 57 per cent of the plastic packaging its business partners put on the market, surpassing the minimum targets of 22.5 per cent laid down by the EU.
The massive blaze that tore through Sant' Antnin last year slowed down Wasteserv's operations and accounted for the fall in exports to 6,658 tonnes between January and November 2017, just half the amount handled in 2016.
As part of its corporate social responsibility, GreenPak - established in 2004 - invests thousands of euros in innovative ways of collecting waste that can be recycled. "We have just launched the Crush & Win competition, where we give €100 a day to consumers who crush their plastic containers. Our primary aim is to target littering and reduce the amount of plastic irresponsibly discarded in our environment and oceans," said GreenPak CEO Mario Schembri.
Anyone can take part in the campaign. All they have to do is write their telephone number on a plastic container they find outdoors or have at home, crush it, and dispose of the item in one of GreenPak's blue recycling bins across Malta.
"It is estimated that plastic constitutes 60-80 per cent of the world's marine litter, which is a worrying statistic. At GreenPak we will continue working hard to change attitudes and polluting habits," Schembri said. Welcoming recent government initiatives to make recycling compulsory, he added: "Things are changing, but we need to wake up and realise that we all have to do much more."
What can you do to help?
These are six tips for reducing plastic on a day-to-day basis
1. Refusing to use single-use plastic bags when shopping and refusing plastic straws is a very good way to start. They truly are unnecessary items we can all do without. Let's stay focused on reducing waste and reusing things!
2. Locally, people will argue that it is difficult to achieve because we drink bottled water unless you have a reverse osmosis system, but there are reusable, large size (12L or 19L) bottles that are a much more sustainable solution and make water more readily available both at home and at work.
3. Upcycle a couple of old t-shirts into reusable cloth bags, keep them handy in your car or bag and use them whenever and wherever you go shopping.
4. Make your own cleaning products with natural ingredients such as vinegar, sodium bicarbonate, lemons, natural salt, and hydrogen peroxide. Use Google Search and you will find a plethora of information available on the internet on simple ways to DIY. Buy a reusable spray bottle and keep filling it up. You'll save loads of money and avoid having any toxic chemicals in your home!
5. Brush your teeth and hair with bamboo products!
6. Avoid buying synthetic clothes as they shed microfibres. Polyester clothing is made of plastic and wearing and washing such clothes causes these fibres to flake off. The tiny particles of micro-plastic being found in our oceans across the globe have been traced to such synthetic fabrics.