Nine seabins to go afloat off Malta’s shores

Nine seabins have been approved and funded and will soon be placed on the sea around Malta, Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government and Communities Silvio Parnis announced when launching the first of them in Birgu, according to a press statement issued by the Maltese government’s Department of Information (DOI). Another nine seabins are in the pipeline.

The locations of the currently-approved seabins are Pietà, St Julian’s, Msida, Marsaxlokk, Marsascala, Ta’ Xbiex, Kalkara, and Gżira, while the areas of the new nine in the pipeline are still unknown.

A seabin is a device floating on water and collecting garbage from the sea. Such a device is designed to float near ports, marinas and yacht clubs, according to Business Insider. A pump equipped to the seabin creates a flow of water that collects rubbish and debris in a catch bag.

Private entities like Norwex — a company funding ten of all the 18 planned seabins — will fund the installation of the seabins, while Strand Marine and Auto Systems Ltd will concentrate on logistical work.

Non-profit organisation (NGO) Żibel is in charge of the educational aspect. The Cleansing and Maintenance Division will collaborate with Żibel in order to take care of the maintenance of the bins. Żibel collected more than six tonnes of trash from Malta’s coastline during the summer, which the NGO says is only the “tip of the iceberg”, according to a report by the Times of Malta.

Furthermore, Mr Parnis said that the government is committed to ensuring that people have a cleaner island while Parliamentary Secretary for Consumer Rights, Public Cleansing and Support for the Capital City Deo Debattista added the importance of cleanliness not only on land but also at sea.

“As a division, we will be collecting detailed statistics on the amount and the kind of waste collected, this will help us better understand the cleanliness-levels at sea,” said Parliamentary Secretary for Consumer Rights, Public Cleansing and Support for the Capital City Deo Debattista. He also underlined the importance of understanding that illegally dumped waste ends up in the sea causing continuous issues. He added that two workers will be exclusively assigned to this project.

“We believe that this installation of new seabins is necessary because these provide a holistic solution for the reduction of waste in our sea and for reducing the damage that this waste is doing to the marine ecosystem,” added Mr Parnis.