Much has been done to limit plastic pollution in Malta.

Through legislation, we have been tackling single-use plastics, although more can still be done.

Rarely does one find plastic straws, with fast food restaurants now opting for ones made out of paper.

But last week we saw the effects that such pollution still has. A dead carcass of a young turtle had been recovered in Maltese waters by the Armed Forces of Malta, with the turtle having died likely due to the ingestion of balloons.

Nature Trust – FEE Malta announced the sad news in a statement, appealing again to the public to avoid the use of helium balloons, saying that if let off they can eventually have a negative impact on wildlife such as birds and turtles.

“Loggerhead turtles are today an endangered species around the world.  It is therefore sadder to see that this young turtle died because of human irresponsibility thus never making it to becoming an adult and able to breed,” Nature Trust said.

Summer is coming, and with summer comes an increase in tourists, an increase in human activity by the seaside.

We must all do our part to not litter. If you need to throw something away, do so in a bin. Better yet, if it’s recyclable, recycle it.

Each summer when visiting beaches, we often see cigarette butts all over the place. This is another type of litter that is often a problem.

Litter making its way into the sea tends to get eaten by sea creatures and fish, which can be lethal. We need to take better care of our planet. We pay a lot of attention to air pollution and are doing a lot to tackle it, but we need to do more to tackle marine litter.

The authority responsible for cleaning beaches always has its work cut out for it, and one hopes that it will have enough people employed to keep the beaches clean throughout the entire summer period.

But it is not only marine animals that can suffer due to our litter, but cats and dogs also. What if they ingest plastic, or get stuck in some dumped object? There are correct ways to dispose of items big and small for a reason, so we should all make use of them.

Another point that must be pointed out is that in some areas in some localities, garbage is left uncollected until the very late morning, sometimes it can even be seen in the afternoon. In Sliema, it is handled in the evening. This is unacceptable.

Not only does it make an area look unclean, but it could attract rodents. In addition, animals could get to the bags and tear them up, resulting in the litter going all over the place.

Garbage collection should be completely handled before 9am each day, not later, especially in summer during heat waves.