An image emerged on Saturday of Exiles beach covered in litter.

The spot is popular for gatherings during the summer months. It must be noted that public gatherings of over four people are currently prohibited, and one hopes that people continue to adhere to the Covid-19 restrictions in order not to risk all we have accomplished thus far. But the restrictions are not the topic of today’s editorial.

The images showed plastic bags, cans, bottles and other items sprawled across the area, right by the sea. Aside from making the site completely unsightly, such items can easily pose a threat to land animals and sea life, should that litter be blown into the sea. Fish ingesting plastic happens often, and we have all read stories about turtles getting entangled in litter.

When will we learn that littering has serious consequences on our environment?

The litter was cleaned the next day, but those who caused it should feel ashamed.

With summer coming up, hopefully such sights will not become the norm. Perhaps more strict fines for littering should be introduced. It might also not be a bad idea to install cameras in such areas.

At the same time, the government and local councils must ensure that there are adequate garbage and recycling bins in areas which are known to see many people frequent during the summer months.

Malta has a lot to offer, but we need to start by caring about our environment. Its not that hard to pick up a plastic bag or empty bottle we take with us on our outings.

Now there are volunteers who dedicate their time to cleaning up our beaches and green spaces, aside from government employees whose job it is to do so. But this does not mean that we can all just be reckless, far from it. We should all be aware of our actions.

Perhaps more education campaigns are needed to really make known the negative effects of litter, such as by highlighting the threat to animals as an example.

Malta has done a lot to push recycling over the years and also to try and curb illegal dumping. This has not completely been solved yet as one would still come across the rare washing machine or fridge in the middle of a field, but coming across such items is not as frequent as it used to be.

Tackling litter is, undoubtedly, the next step. The government is trying to reduce the use of single-use plastic, which is a fantastic step, one which should help indirectly deal with the problem. But this does not mean that the problem has been solved.

With the world becoming more and more aware of environmental issues, it is a shame that some people still choose to close an eye and pretend as though nothing they do will cause damage.