As the sun rose over Paceville’s Dragonara beach on Saturday morning, volunteers replaced revellers, clearing plastic, wood and glass washed ashore in the wake of Storm Harry.
The clean-up was one of six held on Saturday by NGO Żibel, following the storm that caused widespread damage across Malta and Gozo, particularly in coastal areas.
Eighty-seven volunteers took part in clean-ups at beaches in Xemxija, Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq, Pembroke, St Julian’s and Sliema, removing debris swept ashore by strong winds and waves.
Volunteers in Bahar ic-Caghaq cleaning debris after the storm Photo: Matthew MirabelliAt Dragonara beach, around 20 volunteers of different ages, mostly foreigners, were clearing waste from the sand.
Times of Malta spoke to Bettina Nardelli and Cristina Macelli from the Żibel team during the clean-up. Żibel is a non-profit NGO committed to tackling marine debris.
“We confirmed with the diver who was here this morning that the sea is quite clean down there, because all of it has washed up on land,” they said.
Debris found at Dragonara included polystyrene (jablo), large amounts of plastic, glass bottles, wood, and an unexpected discovery from across the bay in Sliema.
“Surprisingly, we also found the sign of the Exiles Shack. It travelled all the way to this beach,” the pair said. “We will try to get in contact with Exiles to see if they want it, or they can contact the Żibel team to collect it if they want.”
Marsascala clean-up planned for January 27
Żibel also plans to organise another clean-up in Marsascala on Tuesday, January 27 between 9am and 2pm, one of the areas worst hit by the storm. The popular seaside town suffered heavy flooding, which scattered construction equipment and debris and caused serious damage to seafront businesses.
Some of the wood collected in Dragonara after the storm. Photo: Matthew MirabelliHowever, people do not need to wait for Żibel to arrive to take action.
“It starts with you,” Nardelli and Macelli added.
The NGO has set up a network of public “Żibel Tribe” bins across the island, which are free for anyone to use and specifically intended for marine plastic waste collection.
The team explained that while plastic waste is sorted locally, it must be sent abroad for recycling. Marine plastic, in particular, breaks down due to exposure to salt, sunlight and other elements, making it more difficult to process using standard recycling methods.
“In Malta right now, Żibel is the only entity which recycles this plastic through different projects,” they said.
How much waste?
While the exact volume of waste collected across the six sites was not yet known at the time of publication, one of Żibel’s founders, Andrew Schembri, provided a rough estimate.
Volunteers in Dragonara cleaning debris after the storm Photo: Matthew MirabelliInitial figures suggest volunteers on Saturday gathered around three tonnes of waste, he said, with an additional 1.5 tonnes collected at a separate clean-up at Għar Aħmar on Friday.
But, Schembri stressed, those figures were estimates and the waste still needs to be sorted, categorised and weighed.
Schembri said the focus should not only be on weight but also on volume and type of waste.
“These are sensitive areas because of the ecosystem. It is important we pick it up now so it doesn’t blow back into the sea and we have to collect it again in another clean-up.”
He said he was grateful to all those who turned up on Saturday to help clean the coast, adding that Żibel holds monthly clean-ups, often followed by a snack by the sea.