Judging by the way the public responded, on social media and elsewhere, to the news that a turtle had laid its eggs on a Maltese on Gozitan beach, it seems clear that many were happy that the sea animals had chosen our islands for them to increase the turtle population.

It happened seven times this summer, what must be a record. Each time the Environment and Resources Authority and Nature Trust Malta issued statements that a turtle had made the islands its nesting place, the reaction was one of collective happiness.

Nature is doing its work. And no matter how resources are stretched, great care is being taken of the sites where the eggs have been laid. It will take up to two months for them to hatch, which means most of summer. But there have been no complaints that parts of our small beaches have been cordoned off to protect the offspring. And, thankfully, neither have there been any attempts to cause trouble.

But then, we ask, if we are so happy about all this, why do we continue to do little else to protect our environment? Worse than this, why do we dump litter into the sea or else leave such a mess on our beaches with the result that unwanted items end up in the sea? If we are so concerned about the wellbeing of the turtles and the eggs they deposited, why do we not dispose of plastic items correctly, given than it is a known fact that turtles often mistake plastic items for food (plastic items look like jellyfish, for example, and turtles consume jellyfish in abundance) which end up killing them?

Each time some NGO organises a clean-up of the sea, tonnes of waste is collected, all of which is illegally dumped at sea by human beings. And, while such initiatives are always welcome and should serve as an eye-opener to people who abuse, really and truly such clean-ups takes place simply because there are too many people who are irresponsible enough to dispose of their unwanted items incorrectly.

We have all been made aware of how long it takes for plastic items to dissolve completely. Just as a reminder, the United Nations page on the subject says that it takes between 20 and 500 years for plastic to decompose – and then, it does not even fully disappear; it just gets smaller and smaller.

We are getting closer to the time when the eggs deposited by turtles on our beaches hatch, and we will be shown footage of the little creatures doing their utmost to reach the sea. These videos will make the rounds on social media, and it is hoped that they will instil more sense in all of us.

The next time anyone thinks of leaving a plastic cup on the sand or throw it into the sea, do the right thing and dispose of it where it can do no harm to nature.