People who visited the beautiful Lippija Tower in Mġarr over the weekend were treated to a very unpleasant sight. The usually scenic spot overlooking Ġnejna Bay was ruined by a huge pile of construction waste, all dumped very close to the popular tower. 

Photos of the pile were uploaded on Facebook on Sunday morning, with different people complaining about the “disgusting” sight. “The person also went through the of driving offroad and dumping it on cliff edge to ensure it cannot be seen,” one person commented. The post got over 100 likes in a day, with many more condemning the act. 

Photos by Joseph Tonna

Before July 2003, when the old Magħtab Dump used to still be operational, the average weight of mixed waste received annually was about 1.6 million tonnes. A whole 80% of all this weight was generated from the Construction and Demolition industry. As of July 2003, however, WasteServ Malta Ltd started using privately-owned facilities – including quarries – to dispose of what is known as “clean inert waste”. More information on recent incentives and different systems of waste management can be found on WasteServ’s website.

As of September 2016, a new procedure for the Civic Amenity Sites was implemented, and there are now certain restrictions with the amount of waste disposed of at one time. Having said that, entrance to these sites is free and WasteServ even published an online leaflet with information. Their website specifically states that “small quantities of household construction waste such as stone and tiles” are accepted, and even more information on this matter can be acquired via their Customer Care Centre on Freephone 8007 2200.

UPDATE: Maltese cleanup group Żibel have reached out to the person who originally posted the photos, with the hopes of attempting a cleanup of the area. 

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David Grech Urpani

Lovin Malta's Head of Content, Dave has been in journalism for the better half of the last decade. Prefers Instagram, but has been known to doomscroll on TikTok. Loves chicken, women's clothes and Kanye West (most of the time).