I have been living in Malta for more than three weeks now and I am not surprised that it is a popular holiday destination for foreigners from all over the world.

It has everything that a tourist may expect: a cloudless sky, clear and warm sea all round and friendly people who are always willing to give you a hand. I have even become a great fan of the rocky beaches which at first I found somewhat daunting.

The only thing that bothers me here is the ubiquitous and overwhelming mess. I cannot understand why people enjoy dropping rubbish on the streets so much when there are more than enough bins. Why not use them when you need to get rid of some empty bottles or packages?

Of course, I would be very one-sided and unfair if I claimed that dirty streets are only Malta’s problem. There are cities which might be even more untidy. That is true, but what irks me even more is that private areas such as underground parking spaces are no less (or even more) filthy here.This makes me assume that it is not only tourists who should be blamed for the filth.

Unfortunately, the terrible habit has reached the wonderful Maltese beaches as well. Sometimes it takes ages to find a clean spot for your towel, as the seaside is full of remains of cigarettes or empty packets or bottles.

The magnificent views of Valletta or other old fortifications are spoilt by the smell and sight of litter which is starting to be an unwelcome part of the Maltese landscape. What a pity!

The national ‘keep your country clean’ campaign seems to be unsuccessful so far. And no wonder, as it is addressed mainly to adults. From a psychological point of view, publicity campaigns are the most difficult of any, because changing people’s habits may sometimes be a ‘mission impossible’, as it is time-consuming and does not guarantee success.

One hopes, though, that there is still a chance to change people’s behaviour and make the island clean or at least cleaner. The hope lies in hands of the young generation.

The earlier you start to educate children, the better result it may bring. Who knows, maybe ecologically aware young schoolchildren may exert a better influence over their parents than hundreds of billboards put up all over the country.

Let’s hope that, embarrassed by their children, adults may want to break their ‘dirty’ habits for good.