Nine environmental awareness groups from all across the Maltese islands have united as a new coalition, Koalizzjoni għal Futur Sostenibbli (KFS), in the fight against litter.

This coalition consists of Nadur Nadif, Din l-Art Ħelwa Mellieħa, 7R Lifestyle Malta, the Birżebbuġa Clean-up Group, No to Plastic Malta, Green Hats, Raniero's Adventures, Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq Clean-up Group and Green Waves.

Over the last five years, the above-mentioned groups have sought to rid Malta of illegally dumped waste from the urban, peri-urban, countryside, coastline, and the seabed in the process to raise awareness about the seriousness of the problem through the use of social media. It was however noted by each distinct group that although this may have raised some awareness, it has not been effective in the long run.

As environmental awareness groups, we have been actively involved in battling the litter problem that has plagued the islands. Despite our efforts, in tandem with the government entities entrusted with waste collection and disposal, we are witnessing an unprecedented increase in the amount of litter dumped in both public and private spaces. This state of affairs seriously concerns the coalition, especially when the same area needs to be frequently cleaned.

Thus, the coalition has agreed that the only way forward is to focus on education and enforcement, and not just clean-ups. In addition to its mission of raising awareness of the hazards associated with issues concerning illegally dumped litter, it also seeks to push for the re-evaluation of the present environmental policies and the implementation of new policies that could contribute to some improvements.

To this end the coalition suggests that priority must be given to three specific areas, namely the rural, the urban, and the marine environments. These proposals will be uploaded on the coalition’s new social media page, which will be launched over the next few days.