Earlier this week, this newspaper published a picture of a man about to dump a garbage bag full of rubbish next to a bring-in site.

Bring-in sites were a fantastic (although not so novel) idea. It involves the setting up of bins to allow residents to dispose of recyclable materials – metal, paper, glass and plastic. The usage of these bins has been steadily on the increase over the years and they have proved to be hugely popular.

Let us face the facts. In Malta, we have no excuse to dump rubbish. We have a daily rubbish collection from our doorstep (bar Sunday and public holidays) which comes out of our taxes. Most European countries have a collection once a week, which they have to pay for. In addition, there are recycling collections twice a week in most localities and on top of that, there are bring-in sites within walking distance of most residences.

There are also the civic amenity sites where people can dispose of bulky items at no charge. The upside is that these items are then recycled or reused. If one really cannot make use of the aforementioned services, the government still offers the bulky refuse service at no charge. The service allows for people to book their own appointment for a truck to go round and collect the item in question.

There really is no excuse whatsoever. Why people continue to dump out in the open and even at bring-in sites just boggles the mind, when one takes into account the range of services that we have on offer on this island, as regards to waste disposal.

Education can only do so much. The problem is widespread and the relevant authorities have made various appeals for people to stop disposing of rubbish at bring-in sites. At the end of the day, the only way the issue can be tackled is through enforcement and the issuance of fines through monitoring by wardens. Wardens have all the time in the world to include bring-in sites into their rounds and should be instructed to do so.

Let us be clear, Malta has improved greatly in terms of general cleanliness and looking after the environment, but there are a few bad apples which ruin the progress that has been made. Malta has an appetite for recycling and those who do make regular use of bring-in sites should be encouraged to report abuse. Aside from the fact that it is an eyesore, dumping organic waste (and other dangerous items) at bring-in sites is a health hazard. The problem is escalating and it needs to be nipped in the bud. Quick, decisive action is needed.