Wednesday, April 11, 2012
SCIBERRAS, J. (2012) Waste can endanger wildlife. The Malta Independent, February 20th pgs12-13
Waste can endanger wildlife
by Jeffrey Sciberras
Waste that is not disposed of in a proper manner can endanger wildlife, which has paid a heavy price ever since man started living on the islands. Nature Trust (Malta)’s flora conservation officer
Although history has taught us how we should treat our land, as a nation we still have not yet fully learnt to respect what is left of our natural environment.
Nature Trust (Malta) is greatly concerned that in spite of the great environmental awareness Malta has achieved, we still lack standards when it comes to the cleanliness of our countryside.
Such a statement may be viewed as too blunt, but this is all too true to those who enjoy visiting the countryside, especially in summer, when most of winter’s lush vegetation dries up and reveals the waste it once covered. Why is it that a lot of waste is still visible outdoors? There are hardly any bins available in the countryside, that is true, but this is no excuse for people to throw their garbage there and treat our natural habitats as a dumping site.
It’s not just a question of aesthetics – that unmanaged waste is an eyesore and gives the impression that our countryside is completely neglected – but it’s also an issue from an ecological point of view. Waste is hazardous in many ways, both at sea and on land.
Waste on land comes in many forms, and most of it can be recycled these days. It is worth noting that waste separation has become normal practice in most schools, especially in schools that have been participating in the Nature Trust-run EkoSkola programme since it was first introduced in 2003.
This is indicative of education beyond the initial awareness levels usually associated with an increase in knowledge about a particular issue. Changes in habits are indicative of education at the levels of attitudes and values.
The most common types of waste are plastic bottles, glass alcohol bottles and metal beer cans. These three types of waste contribute to the trapping, drowning (in winter) and suffocation (in summer) of a significant number of species of invertebrates that normally live in shady areas, under rocks and vegetation, particularly snails, slugs, spiders, woodlice and so on, which easily mistake waste as natural cover.
Moreover, even small vertebrates, like shrews, lizards and skinks often end up victims of such waste due to their curious nature while searching for an opportunistic food source. The smell of opened cans and bottles is the main culprit of their demise.
Indirectly, feral cats and rats contribute to an increase in the amount of outdoor waste for the same reason in their search for food. With their claws and teeth, these animals rip off unguarded and uncollected garbage bags to nibble on the discarded remains of food, with the inedible remains of the rest of the garbage strewn all over the place.
Plastic bottles and appliances that contain a chemical source, like car batteries, are also hazardous because of their chemicals, which will leach into the soil due to rain, erosion and decay. The soil will be poisoned, its beneficial bacteria dies, and it will no longer function as a natural recycling engine.
Aquifers are also polluted in such a manner. Moreover, crops will not grow properly, leading to health problems for us as well. A strange fact is that several wild species of plants are exhibiting fasciated* forms of growth, which can damage their reproductive cycles.
Bulky waste material, particularly larger pieces which cannot be covered by winter vegetation, take over the space where plant life once thrived and immediately becomes transformed into an ecological system of its own, where many small invertebrates take cover.
If, after some time, this waste material is removed, the ecology of the area is disturbed all over again. Much of the waste that is left uncollected for ages is no longer viable to recycle due to its deteriorated state. But a lot of recent waste is still out there waiting to be collected.
Waste is also detrimental to the sea. Plastic bottles erode quicker in the sea. Glass bottles become artificial homes for small fish, crustaceans, marine gastropods (sea slugs and snails) and cephalopods (octopi, cuttlefish etc). It is a well-known fact that plastic bags resemble jellyfish and become a deadly prey to turtles.
The sea comes with a vengeance to show how much waste has been discarded. During windy storms, large numbers of plastic bottles pile up along the shores/coasts of the islands, ironically at the time of year when the bays are least crowded.
The cause of such piles does not only come from local negligence, but also from overseas. As an example, the southern Sicilian coast is littered with domestic waste, and, as a result of this negligence, some of it ends up on Maltese shores, brought here by strong northern winds in winter.
Viewing all these facts, one will must ask this question: ‘what should we do to reduce such a local environmental crisis?’ Apart from education and awareness, implementation coupled with enforcement is the only way forward.
Local and EU legislation related to recycling and waste management include the Thematic Strategy on the Prevention and Recycling of Waste, the Waste Framework Directive, and the Waste Management (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations.
Progress towards the objectives set out in the strategy on the prevention and recycling of waste has been reviewed in a report adopted by the European Commission in January 2011. The Commission sees a need for further consolidation of its waste policies and will make further proposals this year, including concrete steps it intends to take in order to further move towards an EU resource-efficient recycling society.
Two suggestions: recyclable material should always be put directly into large public recycling bins; reusable organic material, like vegetable waste, should be used to make compost or as a direct fresh fertiliser in gardens or pots, which will solve the feral cat problem and the ecological problems that follow later.
Reducing one’s consumption is also another way. Incentives from the authorities can motivate environmental stewardship. After all, it all depends on the discipline and knowledge of the public; hopefully the majority will realise this before it’s too late.
Waste management education, which forms part of the EkoSkola programme, is not limited to the concept of waste separation. The aim of this type of education is to reduce the amount of waste generated and the negative impact on the environment by bringing about changes in people’s lifestyles.
It is hoped that as today’s children grow up to become tomorrow’s adults, parents and leaders, the impact of educational ventures such as EkoSkola – which seeks to empower and encourage individuals to actively participate in their communities, and bring about changes in attitudes, values and behaviour – will be visibly evident in our countryside... when dry summers will no longer reveal the widespread scrap yard beneath the winter vegetation.
* Fasciation – Teratology in plants: Abnormal growth in stems and flowers of plants. The abnormal appearance is caused by excessive multiplication of cells that result in widened/broadened stems and flowers. Toxins and other chemicals are to blame.
by Jeffrey Sciberras
Waste that is not disposed of in a proper manner can endanger wildlife, which has paid a heavy price ever since man started living on the islands. Nature Trust (Malta)’s flora conservation officer
Although history has taught us how we should treat our land, as a nation we still have not yet fully learnt to respect what is left of our natural environment.
Nature Trust (Malta) is greatly concerned that in spite of the great environmental awareness Malta has achieved, we still lack standards when it comes to the cleanliness of our countryside.
Such a statement may be viewed as too blunt, but this is all too true to those who enjoy visiting the countryside, especially in summer, when most of winter’s lush vegetation dries up and reveals the waste it once covered. Why is it that a lot of waste is still visible outdoors? There are hardly any bins available in the countryside, that is true, but this is no excuse for people to throw their garbage there and treat our natural habitats as a dumping site.
It’s not just a question of aesthetics – that unmanaged waste is an eyesore and gives the impression that our countryside is completely neglected – but it’s also an issue from an ecological point of view. Waste is hazardous in many ways, both at sea and on land.
Waste on land comes in many forms, and most of it can be recycled these days. It is worth noting that waste separation has become normal practice in most schools, especially in schools that have been participating in the Nature Trust-run EkoSkola programme since it was first introduced in 2003.
This is indicative of education beyond the initial awareness levels usually associated with an increase in knowledge about a particular issue. Changes in habits are indicative of education at the levels of attitudes and values.
The most common types of waste are plastic bottles, glass alcohol bottles and metal beer cans. These three types of waste contribute to the trapping, drowning (in winter) and suffocation (in summer) of a significant number of species of invertebrates that normally live in shady areas, under rocks and vegetation, particularly snails, slugs, spiders, woodlice and so on, which easily mistake waste as natural cover.
Moreover, even small vertebrates, like shrews, lizards and skinks often end up victims of such waste due to their curious nature while searching for an opportunistic food source. The smell of opened cans and bottles is the main culprit of their demise.
Indirectly, feral cats and rats contribute to an increase in the amount of outdoor waste for the same reason in their search for food. With their claws and teeth, these animals rip off unguarded and uncollected garbage bags to nibble on the discarded remains of food, with the inedible remains of the rest of the garbage strewn all over the place.
Plastic bottles and appliances that contain a chemical source, like car batteries, are also hazardous because of their chemicals, which will leach into the soil due to rain, erosion and decay. The soil will be poisoned, its beneficial bacteria dies, and it will no longer function as a natural recycling engine.
Aquifers are also polluted in such a manner. Moreover, crops will not grow properly, leading to health problems for us as well. A strange fact is that several wild species of plants are exhibiting fasciated* forms of growth, which can damage their reproductive cycles.
Bulky waste material, particularly larger pieces which cannot be covered by winter vegetation, take over the space where plant life once thrived and immediately becomes transformed into an ecological system of its own, where many small invertebrates take cover.
If, after some time, this waste material is removed, the ecology of the area is disturbed all over again. Much of the waste that is left uncollected for ages is no longer viable to recycle due to its deteriorated state. But a lot of recent waste is still out there waiting to be collected.
Waste is also detrimental to the sea. Plastic bottles erode quicker in the sea. Glass bottles become artificial homes for small fish, crustaceans, marine gastropods (sea slugs and snails) and cephalopods (octopi, cuttlefish etc). It is a well-known fact that plastic bags resemble jellyfish and become a deadly prey to turtles.
The sea comes with a vengeance to show how much waste has been discarded. During windy storms, large numbers of plastic bottles pile up along the shores/coasts of the islands, ironically at the time of year when the bays are least crowded.
The cause of such piles does not only come from local negligence, but also from overseas. As an example, the southern Sicilian coast is littered with domestic waste, and, as a result of this negligence, some of it ends up on Maltese shores, brought here by strong northern winds in winter.
Viewing all these facts, one will must ask this question: ‘what should we do to reduce such a local environmental crisis?’ Apart from education and awareness, implementation coupled with enforcement is the only way forward.
Local and EU legislation related to recycling and waste management include the Thematic Strategy on the Prevention and Recycling of Waste, the Waste Framework Directive, and the Waste Management (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations.
Progress towards the objectives set out in the strategy on the prevention and recycling of waste has been reviewed in a report adopted by the European Commission in January 2011. The Commission sees a need for further consolidation of its waste policies and will make further proposals this year, including concrete steps it intends to take in order to further move towards an EU resource-efficient recycling society.
Two suggestions: recyclable material should always be put directly into large public recycling bins; reusable organic material, like vegetable waste, should be used to make compost or as a direct fresh fertiliser in gardens or pots, which will solve the feral cat problem and the ecological problems that follow later.
Reducing one’s consumption is also another way. Incentives from the authorities can motivate environmental stewardship. After all, it all depends on the discipline and knowledge of the public; hopefully the majority will realise this before it’s too late.
Waste management education, which forms part of the EkoSkola programme, is not limited to the concept of waste separation. The aim of this type of education is to reduce the amount of waste generated and the negative impact on the environment by bringing about changes in people’s lifestyles.
It is hoped that as today’s children grow up to become tomorrow’s adults, parents and leaders, the impact of educational ventures such as EkoSkola – which seeks to empower and encourage individuals to actively participate in their communities, and bring about changes in attitudes, values and behaviour – will be visibly evident in our countryside... when dry summers will no longer reveal the widespread scrap yard beneath the winter vegetation.
* Fasciation – Teratology in plants: Abnormal growth in stems and flowers of plants. The abnormal appearance is caused by excessive multiplication of cells that result in widened/broadened stems and flowers. Toxins and other chemicals are to blame.
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