For sure, each one of us will, one day or another, have to leave this world. For sure, at least once a year, tax dues have to be settled. For sure, daily, we are bound to put out of our comfort homes some kind of trash, be it organic, recyclable, or simply the throw-away kind. For sure, some time or later you are bound to encounter inconveniences when working your way on pavements around heaps of rotting, stinking, and overflowing garbage. For sure, this is not a case of one man's trash being another man's treasure.

Projections indicate that our national rate of trash production is bound to keep rising. This should be a huge concern, as waste, of whatever type, can be a proxy for environmental stress. If you are a civic-minded and selfless person who cares about the environment, your first and foremost concern is probably climate change. After that, you might worry about things like car exhaust, collapsing honeybee colonies, and endangered ecosystems, among other contemporary environmental perils that fill recent news headlines. Yet there is one thing that fades out of the news cycle: the piles of garbage that are growing around the country. From a small inconvenience like the hornet problem linked to improper waste disposal to a huge one affecting our health with potential endemic proportions, the problem is one of great magnitude and is bound to get greater.

Why does this matter? One reason is that much of our waste is not handled properly. Millions of plastic fragments flood our seas and disrupt marine ecosystems, and plenty of trash dumped haphazardly around the country is either burned in incinerators that generate air pollution or dumped recklessly in our urban and suburban environments. Even if we sealed all our waste in sanitary landfills, however, there would be a much bigger problem with our growing piles of garbage. Even though I do not see waste disposal as a huge environmental problem in itself, it is the easiest way to see how the environment is being affected by our lifestyles overall.

The quantity of garbage we generate reflects the number of new products we buy and, therefore, the energy, resources, and upstream waste that are involved in producing those items. It shows how much of an impact we are having as a nation, as a species, and on the planet as a whole. This is why we should be concerned about peak garbage. People create much more trash when they move to built-up areas and begin consuming more packaged products, and when they become wealthier and increase their consumption overall. The number of people moving to such areas and consuming more, however, is projected to surge over the coming years, and we need to tackle this problem seriously and with proper foresight unless we let ourselves continue to drown in our filth and waste.

Roadside trash, too, is becoming a big problem, and we only have ourselves to blame. Have you taken any road trips recently? If so, you may have seen trash alongside the road, from food-related to tobacco products to the ever-present plastic. This is not random or just a localised problem. It is part of a growing problem that is starting to take a big toll on the environment. Roadside trash is a growing challenge. More vehicles, more people, and more stuff are among the factors that have worsened the problem over the years. Additionally, the global pandemic had increased the amount of trash, especially for single-use products, even though they are now banned. Trash on the road can pose safety risks and interrupt traffic flow, especially larger items.

There is also the environmental impact of roadside trash, which goes beyond the roadway network. Toxic materials like the chemical components of cigarette butts can be washed away and pollute the soil and groundwater. Lightweight trash can be blown away by the wind or carried by rain runoff and end up in drains.

Let’s face it. The Cleansing and Maintenance Division and Wasteserv have the mammoth task of promoting an environment free from refuse, rubbish, debris, litter, dirt, or any other form of abandoned waste, and they are doing a splendid job of it. But we cannot expect them to do the impossible. Each one of us has to do his or her part, too.

The Maltese have traditionally been known for keeping their homes immaculately clean in terms of hygiene. But from the front door outward, it is a different story. Our growing litter accumulation identifies human transport as the primary mechanism for litter transport. Most trash ends up on the streets, just a short distance from where someone purchased it.

Individuals, policymakers, and manufacturers should work together to solve the problem. Towns and villages have many tools at their disposal, such as bans on items that usually end up outside or increased street sweeping, something that today is becoming a spreading rarity. A combination of measures will be necessary to find a lasting solution. While different areas could have various roadside trash problems, it is likely that, in many areas, the trash originates from nearby areas, and local solutions should be designed.

We need to revisit the cultural and policy dimensions of waste production. One of the surest signs that Malta is an affluent society is the trash beneath your feet. Public cleanliness, though, risks becoming a rare commodity.

Dr Mark Said is a lawyer