Yesterday marked the start of a new waste collection system on the Maltese Islands, which included the introduction of the borża bajda: a white bag for organic waste. And despite initial confusion among locals as to what to put where, it's marked a huge step in the right direction for the island, with authorities confirming that “by three in the afternoon, around 90 tonnes of this type of waste were collected from 50 localities” - way to go, Malta!

In the days leading up to the introduction of the new scheme, locals did what they always do in times of uncertainty: they took to social media - more specifically, much-loved Facebook group ‘The Salott’ - to air their concerns and ask myriad questions about notices, bags, schedules and bins in various localities. And despite leaving many scratching their heads as to what is permissable to throw in which bag, the efforts are sure to be worth our while - organic waste collected is treated by both mechanical and biological processes to produce renewable energy. That's right, our waste will be saving the environment!

And with an already record-breaking amount of waste collected on the first day of the scheme, it certainly augers well, with the Ministry for the Environment saying it "will continue with its education campaigns, publicising information on the media and other initiatives so that more people recognise their obligation to separate waste.”

And as the slogan goes, we need to 'Sort It Out', for a better environment around our gorgeous islands!

Not sure which bag to put out today? You can check your locality’s waste collection days here.