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More than 4,000 trees will be planted thanks to the Islands Cleanup initiative, spearheaded by the Ministry for the Environment, Energy and Enterprise.
The initiative, led by the Saving Our Blue campaign with the support of Project Green, brought together some 500 volunteers from 20 different government entities, NGOs, and private companies. Over the past few months, more than 2,000 tonnes of waste were collected from valleys and beach cleanups. In return, Project Green will plant 2 trees for every tonne of waste collected.
On World Cleanup Day, several volunteers joined yet another cleanup held yesterday in various locations, including Dwejra Lines and Wied is-Sewda. On Saturday 9th September, volunteers also took part in a cleanup in Gozo.
The Islands Cleanup initiative aims to increase awareness regarding the importance of preserving valleys, coastal and marine ecosystems, and other natural sites. It also strives to motivate government bodies, voluntary organisations, and the private sector to participate in the national endeavour to promote a greener and cleaner environment.
All illegally dumped material collected from the sites is separated on-site according to waste separation regulations, thus also ensuring that any recyclable material collected is also processed for recycling.
Minister for the Environment Miriam Dalli thanked all the volunteers for participating in this cleanup campaign.
“For three consecutive years, this initiative has been successful in bringing together amazing volunteers to clean up our valleys and beaches. As a government, we will continue to work towards promoting and preserving open spaces, but it requires the collective efforts of everyone to maintain the cleanliness of places like valleys and beaches,” Minister Miriam Dalli said.
From his end, Project Green CEO Steve Ellul said “Together, we have joined forces with millions of volunteers from 197 countries to commemorate World Clean-Up Day, all sharing the goal of fostering a cleaner planet.” He emphasized the importance of community involvement, stating that people are actively participating in community projects to continue enhancing green spaces.
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