Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1268420
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 12 JULY 2020 11 CULTURE NATURE Take a sunset walk along a country road. Shortly after the sun dips slow down and peer into the shadows among stones and vegetation, and you may spot a tiny point of bright sulphurous yellow light. You may blink and think it's a reflection or trick of the light but you'd be wrong, for that would be a glow- worm (M. Musbieħ il-Lejl), an endemic little marvel. In glow-worms the sexes couldn't look more different: males are winged and look like an ordinary beetle, which in fact they are (not worms despite the name). The ladies, on the other hand, looks rather like a black, pink-edged caterpillar. Unlike males, females can't fly: their pièce de résistance is that lighting trick, which the males haven't mastered. The light is produced by a chemical reaction inside the animal's body, and the female uses it to advertise her presence to passing males. The attraction done, they mate and she lays eggs to start a new generation. Shortly after, her light goes out (literally) and she dies. Text and photo: Victor Falzon 719. GLOW-WORM Visit Friends of the Earth's website for more information about our work, as well as for information about how to join us. You can also support us by sending us a donation - www.foemalta.org/donate GREEN IDEA OF THE WEEK 612 Find out more: www.foemalta.org/goodfood ONE of the main things taken for granted when shopping is the presence of plastic and packag- ing, enclosing almost each and every product. The use of packaging material was originally intended to protect products from being damaged during transportation and to reduce the rate of deteriora- tion of perishables like food. However, throughout the years, packaging started to be used for aesthetic purposes, giv- ing a false sense of better product quality to the consumer, with plastic being even applied to products that do not require any packaging. Ex- amples include excessively packaged cosmetics, perfumes and single-packaged fruits and vege- tables. Unnecessary plastic and packaging is detri- mental to the environment, as it requires an ex- tensive amount of resources to produce, gener- ates pollution through the burning of fossil fuels during its own production process and contrib- utes to high volumes of waste generation, espe- cially if coupled with a high consumption rate. This is the case for Malta, which has one of the highest Municipal Waste generation rates in the EU, including a high rate of packaging waste generation partly attributed to the high influx of tourists during the peak summer season. Unfor- tunately, not all packaging waste is recyclable, with the non-recyclable portion being currently diverted to landfill, contributing further to the problem of limited space on an island state. Packaging waste that is not separated for re- cycling, which leaks into the environment or which is littered can be highly detrimental to the environment, as it may take hundreds of years to disintegrate. The damage to the environment can be irre- versible, with biodiversity and marine species suffering from serious consequences like entan- glement, suffocation, toxicity and even death. Littered items can be hazardous to human health, where if these end up in the marine envi- ronment, they can break down into micro-plas- tics, which are easily ingested by marine organ- isms, therefore contaminating the food chain. Littering is also resulting in reduced fishery catches and is negatively affecting the tourism industry, with tourists avoiding unsightly lit- tered areas. Partly because of busy schedules or accustomed behaviour, consumption trends are slowly mov- ing towards quick meals, with an increasing de- mand for microwaveable, frozen or readily-pre- pared foods that further increase the amount of packaging waste. Furthermore, some of this packaging waste may be non-recyclable. Here are some tips you one can do to reduce waste the next time you go for shopping: • Plastic bags will be banned from 2022! Start now! Use a reusable bag for shopping; • Opt for local fruits and vegetables: You will be supporting local produce that comes without packaging; • Bring-your-own reusable container: Some supermarkets already offer this option for fruits, vegetables, pasta, nuts and deli items. Further- more, customers get the quantity they need without wasting excess food; • Refill container: Similar to bring-your-own but applicable for detergent liquids and bever- ages; • Reusable bread bag or veggie bag: Allows you to go for non-packed or loose products; • Excessively packaged items: Choose more sustainable alternatives with less packaging; • Go for recyclable packaging or packaging made from recycled material; • Avoid products that contain micro-plastics and choose their cleaner alternatives. These are normally found in detergents, dishwasher pods, toothpaste and cosmetics and; • Avoid single-use plastics and disposable items at all costs! Less is more! Be part of the solution and not the pollution! For more information follow the Saving Our Blue Campaign run by the Ministry For the En- vironment, Climate Change and Planning on Facebook and Instagram. Going shopping? Go green!