Well done! Żibel removes over 200 tonnes of waste from Malta’s seas and coastlines since 2017
Malta’s environmental NGO Żibel has crossed an extraordinary milestone in its ongoing campaign against marine pollution - more than 200,000 kilograms of waste have now been removed from the country’s bays, seabeds, and shorelines since 2017.
The latest clean-up, held at Xemxija Bay last Saturday, pushed the total weight of collected debris to 200,929.74 kilograms. Volunteers added another round of rubbish to a figure that paints a striking picture of Malta’s pollution problem, but also of the dedicated efforts to tackle it.
Reaching the 200-tonne mark comes with some staggering statistics:
- 3,301 tyres retrieved from the sea and coast
- 37,929 plastic bottles hauled out
- 4,195 metal cans collected
For 24 consecutive months since September 2023, every monthly clean-up has removed more than one tonne of waste
Żibel’s work also extends to tackling abandoned fishing gear. Through Project Xibka, the team has recovered 246 ghost nets, which are especially harmful to marine life.
Most of the waste has been gathered from three critical areas; Xemxija, Paradise Bay, and Manoel Island - locations that continue to face heavy pollution despite ongoing efforts.
Żibel credited the milestone to its dedicated volunteers and supporters, stressing that every clean-up, no matter the size, contributes to making Malta’s seas and shores cleaner.