Updated at 8.30am

Thirty-nine local councils have agreed to stop using balloons and plastic confetti during events organised in their localities, ahead of an expected nationwide ban on the items due to begin next year. 

In a statement issued on Sunday night, the Local Councils Association said that a growing number of councils were expressing an interest in environmental issues and taking up the association’s pledge, launched in September 2018, to not use balloons and confetti.

Items like balloons, confetti and plastic straws are environmental hazards, polluting seas and habitats and often killing animals which ingest them.

The European Union has agreed to ban such items and other single-use plastics by 2021 and the Maltese government, following suit, has launched a strategy paper on how to phase out such items over the coming years. EU figures reveal Malta is among the continent’s worst plastic polluters. 

Local councils' pledges were met with scepticism by activist and former Democratic Party electoral candidate Camilla Appelgren, who has been spearheading similar efforts to ban single-use items. 

"Are they denying permits for events where balloon release would happen?" she asked of councils on social media.

"I still see no action from councils nor awareness raising".

Along with local councils, a number of band clubs across Malta and Gozo have also pledged to ban balloons during local feast celebrations. Band clubs in Qormi, Luqa, Siġġiewi and Mġarr are among those which have pledged to do away with balloons.

The Local Council Association is also cranking up its efforts to help councils install cigarette bins across localities, in an attempt to cut down on litter.

Which councils have banned balloons and confetti?

Attard
Balzan
Birkirkara
Birżebbuġa
Floriana
Għajnsielem
Għargħur
Għaxaq
Gudja
Gżira
Żebbuġ
Iklin
Kalkara
Marsa
Marsaskala
Marsaxlokk
Mdina
Mellieħa
Mġarr
Mosta
Msida
Mtarfa
Nadur
Naxxar
Pembroke
Pieta’
Qrendi
Rabat
Safi
San Ġwann
Santa Luċija
Santa Venera
Senglea
Siġġiewi
Sliema
St Paul's Bay 
Swieqi
Ta ‘ Xbiex
Victoria 

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