…but we won’t have much to be proud of if we don’t care for our coasts.

It is estimated that, at the way things are going, plastic will outnumber fish in our seas in just 30 years time. And while the pandemic has proven that a few changes can draw benefits on a wider scale, adopting little behavioural habits can make all the difference for marine life and others in our community.

Malta’s Ministry for the Environment, Climate Change and Planning has launched its “Saving Our Blue” summer campaign to support this cause and increase awareness about these precious gems.  Now in its second edition, the campaign has called upon the Maltese community to join in this effort.  In fact many has stepped up to the challenge to protect our iconic beaches, including passionate activists, environmental NGOs and some local figures like TVM presenter Keith Demicoli and ONE presenter Owen Bonnici, who are constantly hitting up our coastlines for well-needed clean-ups. 

Indeed, you can watch Saving our Blue together with its ambassadors,  Keith and Owen, together with other volunteers clearing out litter on one of Malta’s busiest, sandy coastlines here.

Through the campaign, the ministry has also launched an electronic survey in collaboration with Malta’s Environment and Resources Authority for activists and enthusiasts to better coordinate Malta-wide cleanups. 

Activists often find countless cigarette butts, microplastics, decomposing litter and other marine debris that is harmful to our natural lands. From currently 5 clean-ups a total of 86 kilos of waste was collected!

Most litter takes hundreds of years to decompose and turn into toxic microplastics, which is why the ministry recommends that people ditch single-use plastics for their beach days. 

And be sure to plan ahead and take reusable containers and bottles for food and drink when planning your beach bum summer days (it’ll also encourage you to save money while you save our blue!).

Also, if you’re a smoker, a make-shift or DIY reusable ashtray should do the trick. 

Let’s give a helping hand and not only today on World Clean Up Day but always. The future of our beaches is in our hands, so let’s all do our little part in preserving their cleanliness – future generations will thank us for it.

Tag someone who should follow Saving Our Blue and join a beach clean-up!