Community pulling together in Malta
- William Bolton
- Jun 1
- 3 min read
Last month, on 16th May, I had the opportunity to take part in a coastal clean-up at Spinola Bay in Malta, organised by Żibel as part of the Commonwealth Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign. The event was part of the King's Baton Relay (KBR) in Malta, on its journey through Europe, making it feel we were contributing to something much bigger than a local beach clean.
Storm Harry had swept past Malta around a month earlier. Although Żibel had already cleaned Spinola Bay as part of its regular programme of clean-up events across the island, the storm had brought in a fresh wave of debris, demonstrating just how quickly marine litter can accumulate.
Spinola Bay is a small residential harbour in St Julian's, Malta. It is important to both the tourism and fishing industries, with colourful traditional fishing boats moored alongside restaurants and cafés. Therefore keeping the bay clean, and removing plastic before it can be ingested by marine life or break down into microplastics, is a priority. For Malta, the sea is central to the country's economy, culture and way of life.
The clean-up brought together volunteers from across the community, from across Malta and abroad, each playing a part in tackling marine plastic pollution. A local diving school supported the event with a team of divers who searched the bay for waste and used specialist lifting bags to retrieve heavier items from the seabed. Those of us onshore, myself included, received the recovered waste and sorted it into labelled buckets for recycling or disposal, according to material type. Much of the plastic went to Żibel’s micro-factory, an innovative ocean plastic recycling project, which aims to achieve the complete localisation of marine plastic recycling, turning marine plastic into reusable raw materials like plastic boards. Before this micro-factory, marine plastic could not be recycled in Malta because they cannot be mixed with land plastic since they are contaminated with sea water.
Watching the divers emerge from the water carrying huge pieces of waste was both eye-opening and encouraging. We hauled a wide variety of rubbish from the bay, including large pieces of fibre glass boat hulls, entire metal wheelie bins, tyres and even a large solar panel. It was sobering to see the sheer volume and variety of waste that had accumulated beneath the surface, but also fascinating to discover what each dive would emerge with.
By the end of the morning, more than a tonne of waste had been removed from Spinola Bay, an inspiring achievement for just a few hours of work.
Volunteers came from across Malta and further afield, including representatives from the Commonwealth Games Association of Malta. It was wonderful to see everyone pitching in, including the President of the CGA, who helped haul tyres out of the water alongside the rest of us.
With music playing throughout the morning, there was a real sense of energy and community. Everyone had an assigned role, and Żibel clearly prides itself on building a welcoming community of volunteers. One volunteer even took on the role of the "Ghostbuster", using a specially adapted vacuum to collect cigarette butts from between the paving stones. Cigarette filters are one of the most common forms of plastic pollution worldwide, yet they are often overlooked and difficult to remove. Seeing this dedicated effort highlighted how every piece of litter, no matter how small, matters.
Żibel has been leading coastal and underwater clean-ups across Malta since 2017, mobilising thousands of volunteers and inspiring people to take an active role in protecting the marine environment. It was a privilege to be part of one of their events and to witness first-hand the passion, organisation and enthusiasm of the team.
The clean-up also formed part of the wider Commonwealth Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign, which aims to prevent one million pieces of plastic from entering Commonwealth waterways and oceans through community-led action, education and practical clean-ups. Being able to contribute, even in a small way, made me feel connected to a global movement working towards healthier oceans.
As the Race to a Million continues ahead of the Opening Ceremony of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, I'm grateful to Żibel for bringing people together to make a tangible difference. I left Spinola Bay tired, a little sunburnt, and incredibly proud to have played a small part in protecting one of the Mediterranean's most precious natural resources.
