Keeping the island clean is a movement that is slowly but surely taking on, and now, Ghajnsielem's local council has joined by organising  a campaign in order to clean the waste that was being dumped in the surrounding countryside.

Kevin Cauchi / facebook

Taking full charge of the situation, Ghajnsielem mayor Kevin Cauchi set about organising a clean-up session to rid various valley’s in his locality from accumulated waste. With a 60-strong team comprised of council staff members, Gozo Ministry’s intervention team and volunteers, Kevin cleaned up four major corners of the village; Simirat Valley, Chambray Woodland, part of Zewwieqa Archway and St Eliju Belvedere – all in the space of one morning.

The amount of waste collected was immense, with a facebook video uploaded by the mayor showing tens of garbage bags picked up from just one of the four locations.

The garbage bags were filled with small-waste material such as glass bottles, plastic bags and food bags, with the total amount gathered by the end of the event exceeding 140 garbage bags. Several large-waste items like appliances, tyres and large iron barrels were also disposed of properly during the clean-up.

When contacted, Kevin expressed great joy at the event’s turnout and admits that ecological and human wellbeing are issues at the forefront of the council’s plan for the village. This clean-up event forms part of a larger campaign Ghajnsielem European Mobility Week 2019 with a walking competition and car-pooling day scheduled for tomorrow. The whole campaign was supplemented with an educational campaign in which flyers were distributed to all Ghajnsielem households, multiple signs were erected around the village and waste-collection bags were distributed free of charge.

Kevin Cauchi / facebook

Would you like to see a similar event in your village?