Minister for the Environment Miriam Dalli, together with Project Green and Saving Our Blue, launched Islands Cleanup, the third edition of the national cleanup campaign inviting businesses, NGOs and other organisations to come together and participate in clean-ups in different coastal sites and valleys.

The campaign was launched on Wednesday morning during this year's first cleanup at Ġnejna Bay, with the participation of employees from the Ministry for the Environment, Energy and Enterprise and Trust Payments, one of the first local companies volunteering for this initiative. More clean-ups will be held throughout the summer months, with many other organisations.

The Environment Ministry organises this cleanup initiative every year, to raise public awareness about the need to protect valleys, coastal and marine habitats, and other sites of natural importance, while encouraging government entities, voluntary organisations, and the private sector to contribute to the national effort for a greener, cleaner environment. Companies, schools, NGOs or other groups who apply to participate in this initiative can choose a beach or a valley cleanup, with the support of the Saving our Blue initiative and Project Green. Participants will be provided with the necessary equipment, such as gloves, bags, waste vehicles and safety instructions, to ensure a safe and efficient cleanup process, a government statement read.

"All waste collected during these activities will be separated on site, in line with applicable waste separation regulations, to make sure that all recyclable materials are processed for recycling."

"Participants will also be assisted to weigh the waste they collect, for statistical and environment research purposes. To recognise this volunteering effort, Project Green is planting trees in public open spaces for every tonne of waste collected during this campaign. While 1,400 trees have already been planted to mark the efforts of the 2021 cleanup campaign, Project Green is in the process of planting another 3,600 to recognise the results of last year's edition."

Participating organisations will also receive a certificate of participation, for contributing their time and effort for a better environment in a dedicated event, it said.

During the campaign launch, Minister Miriam Dalli highlighted the importance of reducing, recycling, reusing and ultimately, responsibly disposing of the waste generated.

"This campaign has become an annual opportunity for many volunteers to share in our collective environmental objectives and obligations. During the past years, together we managed to collect more than 2,500 tonnes of waste from our natural environments. This waste could have caused significant damage to our marine life, to our delicate valley ecosystems and to other important natural sites. Through this campaign we are reminding ourselves that we all have a part to play in protecting our environment," said Minister Miriam Dalli.

Minister Dalli added that the Islands Cleanup campaign, Project Green's open spaces initiatives and the Saving Our Blue campaign go hand in hand with the Government's long term environmental, sustainability, circular economy and waste management plans, "which are all interlinked to attain our ultimate environmental objectives of a healthier quality of life and a sustainable future for all."

"Strategies and national targets cannot be reached in isolation. We need to work together to attain these objectives," Minister Miriam Dalli said.

Project Green CEO Steve Ellul said, "Everyone is encouraged to join this initiative, including companies, NGOs, families, groups of friends, together with all those who would like to make a difference and contribute to a better environment. We want to involve the community every step of the way, because these open spaces belong to all of us, so it is our duty to take good care of them."

To learn more about the Islands Cleanup campaign and to register your group for a cleanup, visit: http://project.green/clean-up-campaign/