One has to agree that the new regulations on littering were greatly needed. Hopefully, the end result after they officially come into force in January will be a cleaner and smarter Malta and Gozo.
The government has done well to impose stiff fines on litterbugs and those who dump rubbish illegally. Although some consider littering to be a petty crime, it is not and those caught doing so deserve a stiff punishment.
This is a good initiative but one fundamental problem remains. There are not enough bins around Malta and Gozo to cater for all the rubbish we generate on a daily basis. At the same time, those bins that are infrequently found, for example in Valletta, are always overflowing, creating an eyesore in their own right.
With so many people in Valletta on a daily basis, it is surprising that there are not enough bins – just imagine half of the people working in Valletta purchasing a packet of sweets and having nowhere to dispose of it? We would end up with quite a pile of rubbish in the street.
Valletta is but one example. What about Sliema, Paceville and Bugibba? There are not enough bins in these localities... what do you do if you need to dispose of something? Keep it in your hand, or if you are a lady, a handbag? Throwing it on the floor is not the solution, but people do expect to find more bins.
If the government, central or local, does not increase the availability of bins in localities around the island – to help people not to litter – the public will start to think that the new littering regulations, the advertising and information campaigns, were just a waste of money. And quite right, they would be!
In the same way that the public has the obligation to obey the new regulations, the authorities have the obligation to make it easier for people to dispose of their rubbish. It takes two to tango. Otherwise people will continue to disregard the rules – fines or no fines.
Another problem is the habit of throwing cigarette butts on the ground – everywhere. Maltese culture is very much “drop your cigarette, stub it out under your shoe, and walk away.” This is wrong and cigarette filters do cause a lot of harm to the environment. But how did this habit originate? Simply because there are not enough outdoor ashtrays for smokers to use.
We are not asking too much here and the expense should not be too great either. There are a number of establishments that have already taken it upon themselves to provide either a bucket of water, or a box filled with sand outside the front door, so that when people finish their cigarette, they can stub it out before they go inside. In the case of restaurants, people can go outside for a smoke and put their cigarette out without having to throw the spent cigarette on the ground.
More establishments should take the opportunity to set a similar example, so that other outlets and the local authorities can follow suit.
The government’s decision to introduce new regulations is very positive, but it must not fall into a trap of its own making. Local councils should be the first to increase the number of bins available in public places. Part of the funds collected from littering fines should be used to purchase more bins and to improve collection points for bulkier refuse. We are not talking rocket science here but a holistic approach to managing rubbish disposal.
The message is simple – the more bins there are around, the less excuses litterbugs will have. Then, by all means, throw the book at them.