An emergency clean-up of local favourite beach Ghajn Tuffieha took place over the weekend, after the bay became littered with plastic debris following the heavy rain and storms that our islands have been experiencing. 

According to environment minister Jose Herrera, "reports on social media showed large amounts of plastic fragments and other litter brought to shore during the rough seas of the past days at Ghajn Tuffieha.”

The beach is considered an environmentally sensitive area and is also a Natura 2000 site - part of a larger network of nature protection areas within the European Union. The Ministry for the Environment, Sustainable Development and Climate Change coordinated efforts with the Environment and Resources Authority, Ambjent Malta, and NGO No to Plastics to remove the plastic debris from the beach as swiftly as possible, and thank goodness for that - good job team!

And more recently, local personality Clare Agius, posted a raw and emotional video about plastic pollution that has consumed not only our island, but the world, making this the ‘era of plastic.’ “Let’s get everybody doing something,” she says, making a plea to all citizens to be aware of their surroundings and reduce their plastic consumption.

And you too can help out our tiny island by participating in clean-ups and making small changes, like ditching the plastic straws and using reusable products like travel mugs (they’re way more stylish than polystyrene cups, anyway!) We're behind you!