Volunteers collect over 1700kg of waste on Comino in six hours
The clean-up focused on removing decades-old glass fragments
Volunteers collect over 1700kg of waste on Comino in six hours
Volunteers from environment NGOs Friends of the Earth Malta, Din L-Art Ħelwa and the Malta Environmental Foundation collected more than 1700kg of waste in a clean-up activity in the area around the old bakery in Comino.
The clean-up focused on removing decades-old glass fragments scattered across the garigue. Glass poses a great threat to Comino’s indigenous wildlife due to it being a fire hazard and because of its sharp edges.
The NGOs said that thanks to the incredible efforts of volunteers, over 1600 kg of glass waste was collected, along with more than 100 kg of general waste, and over 500 kg of old bulky waste - in just six hours.
"The amount of glass waste around the shrubland is quite concerning, and despite the large amount of waste that was collected, more work needs to be done. A striking example of the island’s glass pollution was an old agricultural storeroom near il-Forn, which had evidently been used as a dumping ground for glass bottles over several years. This site has now been fully cleared," the NGOs said.
An even more concerning example was a glass landfill filled with remnants of glass from the former Comino Hotel. This area remains heavily polluted.
After the event, two members of FoEM remained on the island to conduct a coastal clean-up using a kayak.
Friends of the Earth Malta is currently leading a major project titled Il-Forn ta’ Kemmuna, which aims to restore the old bakery and transform it into an environmental educational centre. The project is intended to raise public awareness about the ecological importance of Comino as a Natura 2000 site and its environmental value to the Maltese Islands.
Meanwhile, Din L-Art Ħelwa has managed the historic Santa Marija Tower on Comino since 2002. The NGO has restored the tower and continues to oversee its upkeep.