An educational stall on the impact of marine litter on wildlife was set up at the Upper Barrakka Gardens in Valletta during Notte Bianca, as part of the Zero Waste Future programme.
The programme was launched in 2019 in partnership with the NGO AKTI Project and Research Centre, GSD Marketing Ltd with the financial support of the Coca-Cola Foundation.
The Zero Waste Future programme is aligned with the global commitment of The Coca-Cola Company for ‘A World Without Waste’ and aims to mobilise all stakeholders, including the public, to address marine and land pollution in Malta. It focuses on intervention, education and behavioural change to accelerate the shift required to make the circular economy and recycling part of people's hearts, minds, and everyday routines.
One of the most popular activities during Notte Bianca was fishing for litter, where children fished out litter from a pool and for each item collected, members from GSD and AKTI explained its origins, its degradation time and its effects on marine wildlife.
Another activity was an entrapment game where children were asked to put one hand behind their back and then have a rubber band twisted around the fingers and asked to try to free their hand. The goal of this activity was to create empathy, as children got to understand how marine wildlife feels when it gets trapped in litter. Children who visited the stand also had the chance to create their own bookmark using recycled material from 3D printed animals made out of recycled plastic and recycled wooden sticks.
An on-the-spot survey regarding the main causes and solutions to the problem of marine litter was also carried out. Over 1,000 participants were asked to identify the main causes of marine litter. Three main reasons were given: environmental culture (30 per cent); unsustainable development (23 per cent) and lack of proper legislation enforcement (15 per cent).
The participants were also encouraged to propose solutions for marine litter. The importance of fostering an environmental culture from a young age scored highest (23 per cent), followed by the need for heavy fines for polluters (20 per cent) and the need for industry to implement more environmentally friendly practices (15 per cent).
Besides the above activities, six on-the-go recycling bins were placed in high traffic areas and close to the bars serving beverages during the October 1 festival. These bins targeted the collection of beverage containers and over 1,100 kilograms of recyclable waste was collected and sent for recycling.