Around 45 local councils from across Malta and Gozo have been granted funds to organise clean-up activities in their respective localities this month, the government said on Saturday to mark World Cleanup Day 2023.

In a statement, the parliamentary secretariat for local government said councils would be using the funds for anything from street cleaning to collecting litter from gardens and bays or underwater clean-ups.

It is the second consecutive year that councils have been offered funding for such activities.

The press release did not state which councils have benefited from funding or how much money is being disbursed.

Aside from council activities, funding will also be used to set up an educational campaign together with the Malta Chamber of SMEs focused on educating business owners are waste management.

Parliamentary secretary Alison Zerafa Civelli visited clean-ups in Pembroke and Msida and said the government initiative was encouraging greater awareness about the need to keep public places clean.

“A clean environment has a positive impact on people’s health. We want people to know that an investment in cleanliness is an investment in our own health,” she said.