The shabbiness of it all

It is inevitable that, on returning from abroad, the first thing that hits you smack between the eyes is the general shabbiness of our island.

So, not only do you come back with post-holiday blues, but your grumpiness at returning to the usual routine is compounded by the litter-strewn streets and black garbage bags which are bursting at the seams as they stew and ferment for hours in the mid-day sun while they await collection (which is always rather a hit and miss affair as the bags are hurled into the back of the rubbish trucks, during which there is always a 50% chance of their contents spilling out in the process).

And let’s not forget the pong and mess of the many “presents” left behind by dogs and horses whose owners are too selfish to clean up after their animals.

Welcome home.

Right.

It is clear that the various attempts and campaigns with animated cartoon characters to instill civic behaviour in the Maltese has failed miserably. For example, I recently noticed that the recycling bins I used to use frequently in Mosta, Naxxar and Bugibba have disappeared, and the reason is obvious. Instead of using them to dispose properly of plastic, metal and glass, they had become magnets for those who simply dumped their domestic rubbish near the bins.

All that was needed was for the first person to put their black bag there and within hours it would turn into a mountain of foul smelling waste.

Those who lived near the bins were (understandably) not very happy at being lumped with was turning out to be a mini landfill. Residents complained of being exposed to a health risk, especially in areas where the bins were not emptied regularly. I am told that, in some places, CCTV cameras set up by local councils to catch the culprits were vandalized and, in the end, the decision was taken to remove the bins altogether. 

But there lies the problem: instead of ensuring their proper use through enforcement (for which read, hefty fines), it appears to me that the recycling bins initiative is being slowly scrapped.  If I were in charge, any time I caught someone vandalizing government property I would make them do community service, forcing them to not only fix what they broke, but also do a stint of litter collection too.  But no concrete action ever seems to be taken, and we simply continue to wallow in the shabbiness of it all.  What is worse is that we seem to have given up and become complacent, accepting what should be unacceptable.

I am eternally fascinated by the fact that cities and towns bigger than our entire country manage to grapple with waste management by coming down on litterbugs and those who do not dispose of rubbish properly like a tonne of bricks, and yet here we are, throwing up our hands in defeat while dismissing the entire population as simply being unable to follow basic instructions for waste separation.  Of course, I am aware that recycled waste is collected door to door on certain days of the week, but the possibility of getting rid of the recycled material whenever one wanted was also very convenient. 

The funny thing is that, whenever this subject comes up, everyone is in agreement that the litter/rubbish situation is intolerable but then dismiss it with a shrug and the classic phrase, “what can you do? Some people are very dirty.”  I’m always curious who these mysterious dirty people actually are though, because it is always “someone else” who seems to be doing all the littering. Not once has anyone sheepishly admitted that yes, guilty as charged, they have on occasion left domestic waste near a recycling bin or thrown an empty twistees bag out of their car window, or left a fast food stylofoam box on a park bench. Like the refrain of that once popular song, the answer is always: “wasn’t me.”

I also find it a paradox to hear people talk so passionately about patriotism and how much they love Malta, and yet somehow all this talk does not translate itself into the kind of civic pride which makes me so envious of other countries.  If we really loved our country we would instinctively stop ourselves from throwing wrappers and other assorted waste in the street. This, by the way, would also be a great example to visitors; I’ve often noticed that tourists who see how dirty Malta is, have no compulsion about littering themselves. Have you ever been abroad and marveled at the cleanliness? Would it even occur to you to throw your litter on the ground?  Even if you did dare to do it, you can be sure you would be told off by the nationals of that country, and you would probably find yourself fined on the spot, to boot.

In fact, I often daydream of being an environmental warden for just one day, with the authority to impose the heftiest of fines. And by hefty I mean fines that would run into the hundreds if not thousands of Euros, depending on the transgression. I would station myself at random spots and just watch and wait, ready to whip out my trusty citation notebook the minute I see someone littering. I would probably require police protection by the end of the day, but I assure you I could probably make a sizable contribution to the country’s coffers.