Today’s back page article is about Malta’s beaches and how they are cleaned before every summer sets in and how they are maintained throughout the peak season. It is no easy feat.

In fact, since January, some 5,000 tonnes of seaweed have been collected from 67 beaches around Malta. The work is carried out by the Cleansing Services Department.

Apart from the fact that the algae smell terrible, we would simply have no beaches where we can swim, if this operation were not carried out. And we must also remember that these cleanups are not just one-offs, they have to be carried out repeatedly to ensure that the end total of algae is not too much to be able to deal with.

But it does not end there, the most popular beaches are subjected to daily litter picking between 6am and 6pm and the sands are sifted once a week.

As the weather begins to cool, the department then gets involved in the dismantling of beach furnishings in order to prevent them from rusting over winter while other bits and bobs which are damaged are replaced or repaired.

Another issue which is highlighted is the fact that while not many people notice, employees are constantly doing the rounds to empty bins on beaches which would otherwise constantly overflow with rubbish.

However, more needs to be done and by all concerned. Of course things have improved from days gone by where a few cut-off oil drums were all that passed for rubbish disposal. But there is still room for improvement. While the MTA has taken the lead in promoting and maintaining clean and pristine beaches, it is us, the general public, who need to change our ways the most.

There is a delightful addition to some of the sandy beaches in the form of a metal tube done up to look like a cigarette with a slogan to go with it saying that the beach is not an ashtray.

Unfortunately, it is all too easy for smokers to stub out a cigarette in the sand. But if you are going to throw your rubbish away anyway (do not assume that all people do), all that needs to be done is to collect them in a cup, or whatever receptacle, and dispose of them at the end of the day.

Equally, people should make more of an effort to collect sweet wrappers, cans, bottles and whatever other packaging (a scourge) that is left over by the day’s end. While it is true that people do try and collect as much as they can and dispose of it, all too often, it is just too easy to bury a plastic cup, bits of food, straws and who knows what else.

It is also imperative that we understand that while beaches are an important part of the Maltese tourism product, it is the whole of the island. As cliché as it sounds, we must keep this little outcrop as neat and as tidy as can be possible (even for our own good) and we must be courteous and welcoming to tourists. While many may think that it is only to those who work in tourism directly that these simple tasks are relevant, it is not the case. The people as a whole need to adopt them and if we were to think that this is only because we have to host tourists, well… we still need a whole lot more education.