Over 6.2 tonnes of trash have been collected from Malta’s coastline by environmental NGO Żibel this summer. But that is only the tip of the iceberg, according to the organisation.

“Our clean-ups have shown us loud and clear that there is a huge problem when it comes to waste in our seas,” Bettina Macelli, the NGO’s treasurer and PR officer, says.

About 60 divers have participated in Żibel’s clean-ups this year.

“Some areas are in a dire state, so much so that in just two hours of cleaning up one small patch at a depth of five to eight metres, we commonly recover between 1.5 and 2.5 tonnes of waste! So it is evident that we have just begun to scratch the surface.”

Founded in 2017, the NGO is committed to reducing waste and to protecting the natural environment.

It currently consists of a five-member team: chairman Andrew Schembri, deputy chairman Manya Russo, marketing officer Bettina Pace, education officer Soharo Russo and Ms Macelli.

The small group is, however, complemented by hundreds of volunteers or so-called ‘trash heroes’ who have helped the NGO collect  over 60 tonnes of rubbish since its foundation.

This trash invariably included huge amounts of plastic. At the last clean-up in Fekruna Bay, Xemxija, volunteers recovered almost 93kg of plastic (out of a total 1,461kg of rubbish), which excludes any bulky waste plastic such as jerry cans.

The volunteers, who included employees of sponsoring company Eau Thermale Avène and Essence Cosmetics, also came across some unusual items such as kitchen appliances, batteries, whole boats, tricycles, deck chairs and even a fully intact toilet.

“We’ve really seen it all down there,” Ms Macelli notes.

Besides the monthly activity, the NGO also supports corporate companies and small groups of people in running their own clean-ups throughout the year.

A Toyota Prius was among the items collected from the seabed during a dive clean-up organised by QuickLets and Zanzi Homes in collaboration with Żibel and Dive Systems - Malta in June.

We’ve really seen it all down there

Among others, they helped the QLZH Foundation clean up the Maori dive site in Valletta and supported a children’s sports club to carry out a sand-sifting activity at Golden Bay, clearing approximately 1kg of microplastics from the sand.

Over 300 volunteers have helped the NGO achieve its targets this summer.

Education, especially target-ing children, ranks high in the NGO’s agenda.

“We put a lot of time and energy into our education campaign as we believe that education is one of the best ways to tackle the current environmental problems we are facing as a nation, and as a world,” Ms Macelli says.

Education and outreach officer Ms Russo, who has years of experience in the education sector, is developing original material which the NGO will be sharing with schools in the coming months.

“Children are always also very receptive to our activities. They are given the opportunity to spend time outdoors and feel like they are doing something positive. They learn so much, ask lots of questions and give us tonnes of ideas too!” Ms Macelli enthuses.

“This trickles back to their lives at home, which makes the impact even greater. Children and teens are by far some of the biggest influences in today’s society.”

This summer, the NGO also launched Europe’s first solar-powered seabin in Spinola Bay, St Julian’s, which is estimated to collect about 500kg of micro-plastics and other debris per year, as part of an international Seabin Project, which was launched in Malta last summer.

Huge amounts of plastic have been collected from the coastline.

With the help of the public, companies and entities, Żibel has been able to run other initiatives such as eco-friendly rolling papers, eco-festas and parties, eco-art and a clothes swap in collaboration with local eco-friendly fashion business Gazed.

Other projects included Plasti-kaxxa, in which patrons at Farsons Beer Festival were invited to dispose of their empty plastic bottles in huge containers made of reused nets and wood, with the chance to win a daily monetary prize handed out by recycling cooperative GreenPak. The bottle’s plastic caps were donated to the Malta Community Chest Fund.

Social media and word of mouth have certainly helped to generate interest in the NGO and the number of participants in its events and clean-ups keeps on growing. Over 300 volunteers and 60 divers have participated in the monthly clean-ups since June this year.

This is all very encouraging for the team, which has plenty of projects in the pipeline.

“We are positive that these clean-ups have an impact that goes far beyond the tonnage we collect – it helps to educate the public about the issue, provide a way for people to get involved in an environmental cause and, hopefully, make people realise that business as usual is not an option anymore,” Ms Macelli points out.

She is adamant that every little effort counts: “Every step we take towards becoming more eco-friendly is a move in the right direction, whether it’s simply sorting out waste at home, taking alternative ways of transport to work, downsizing your wardrobe, shopping more consciously, or cleaning up someone else’s mess.

“Solutions and information are plentiful and within our reach – it’s not as daunting as people think − so get informed and start your sustainability journey today!”

Become a volunteer or a sponsor

Żibel is always looking for volunteers, be it social media users who can help raise environmental awareness or those willing to participate in clean-ups, whether their own or those organised by the NGO. Anyone interested can send an e-mail to hello@zibel.org, contact them through their social media channels or through www.zibel.org.

One can also register to become a sponsor. The clean-ups would not be possible without the support of various companies, entities and other NGOs such as Dive Systems − Malta, Wasteserv, Malta Tourism Authority, Terracycle, Dr Juice (Malta), Clean Malta − Cleansing and Maintenance Division, EcoPure Beverage Services, Portughes Dry Cleaning, Bolt, Say No To Plastic Malta and Raniero’s Adventures.

The NGO is organising its last beach clean-up for this summer at St Julian’s on September 28. Follow Żibel’s Facebook page for more details.

Some statistics

● 60+ tonnes of rubbish collected since 2017
● 11,500 Facebook followers
● 2,500 #TrashHeroes (volunteers)
● €3,200 donated by the public
● 120 partner organisations