Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/736806
45 Events maltatoday, SUNDAY, 9 OCTOBER 2016 Virtù invests €75 million in new eco-friendly Malta-Sicily catamaran A new Malta-Sicily catamaran is expected to be delivered to Virtù Ferries by the fourth quarter of 2018 in a €75 million investment. The new passenger/vehicle ferry is expected to further increase the current daily voy- ages schedule between the two islands. Virtù said that it is also look- ing into further market driven route expansion. "A second ves- sel will also increase f lexibility and reliability. The company is undertaking a number of ini- tiatives to increase incoming tourism and better serve the Maltese and Italian business communities," the company said in a statement. The vessel will have a capacity of 900 passengers in four lux- ury lounges on two passenger decks and additional outside seating. The full span of the ga- rage deck is designed to carry 23 heav y commercial trailers, equivalent to 490 truck lane metres or 167 cars. Like the vessel Jean De La Valette, the crossing between Malta and Sicily will take ap- proximately 90 minutes with the vessel cruising at 38 knots. The new vessel, built by Incat Tasmania Pty. Ltd, will report- edly use state-of-the-art Com- putational Fluid Dynamics and hydrodynamic free-running model test techniques, in line with the company's emphasis on eco operations and fuel ef- ficiency. "The already well-proven In- cat wave piercing catamaran hull design has been further developed to minimise fuel consumption, increase passen- ger comfort and sea-keeping performance, at the desired contract speed, in simulated sea conditions prevailing in the Malta Channel. This is in line with established Green Policies being recommended by the in- ternational maritime industry." The new ferry will be built under DNV-GL Classification Society Rules and will comply with IMO High Speed Craft HSC 2000, the Malta Flag Statutory Regulations and Ital- ian Port State requirements. As with all other Virtù vessels, the new ferry will f ly the Malta Flag. Put your plastic bottle away! PLASTIC has a negative impact on our environment. It is gen- erally believed that plastic takes at least 500 years to decompose. Plastic bottles are used every day across all generations - es- pecially in Malta's hot to mild year round climate when it is more important than ever to stay hydrated. Buying countless amounts of bottled water packs generates so much waste. Not to finish in our landfill, each and every bottle needs to be sepa- rated, collected, cleaned and ex- ported. But the news is not all bad. In fact the percentage of separated and recycled plastic in Malta has risen by almost ten percent in just four years, according to the National Waste Management plan (2014– 2020). Since January of this year, Wasteserv has already exported 933.32 metric tonnes of PET plastic. While the figures are looking better, we all still need to redou- ble our efforts and continue to separate and reduce the waste we all produce if we are to en- sure that Malta meets its 2020 targets. By introducing easy habits to our daily lives we can do our bit in reducing plastic bottle waste. Whether at home or at work, reduce the number of water bottle purchases by consider- ing getting a water dispenser complemented by investing in a good quality BPA free water bot- tle which can be refilled. Most people find that by simply carry- ing a water bottle with them at all times, they drink more water, which is always beneficial. Now that children have gone back to school, use those same simple steps and stock up on reusable bottles. Don't forget to throw in one for your own use. You can also look into installing reverse osmosis systems in your home. Lobby for them to be installed at your workplace too and out- line how cost efficient a water dispenser would be to your boss. Then say goodbye to lugging six packs of water all the time! So do your bit and encourage others to reduce their use of plastic bottles. Finally, remem- ber – if it is imperative that you buy a water bottle the least you can do is to recycle it properly in the appropriate bag. Visit www. dontwastewaste.gov.mt. Fatina nuts: good enough to squirrel away THE end of summer is a bittersweet time for most people. Af- ter three months of consuming cold and refreshing goods, it is now time to kiss them goodbye. Come end of Sep- tember and all of au- tumn, nuts are seen more abundantly in our market and with good reason, as they are in season. Al- monds, Chestnuts, Pecans, Pistacchios, Walnuts, Hazel- nuts- the list is end- less and they are all found in their prime throughout the month of Oc- tober. This makes it the perfect time to stock up on your nuts. One portion of nuts, which amounts to about 30g, is a great vital- ity boosting snack, giving you a healthy mix of vitamins and minerals. It is also a great source of protein and heart healthy fats. The Fatina brand has been cul- tivating and producing nuts for over half a century and has dedi- cated itself to providing its cus- tomers with the highest quality of nuts available on the market. Fatina products come in reseal- able packets, making them much easier to store; this also ensures that your goods stay fresh for the longest time possible. If the range of more or less every nut imagi- nable is not enough, Fatina nuts come in ready to eat packets in a vast variety; they have 18 varia- tions of nuts in one line alone! Fruitland Company is the dis- tributor of Fatina products in Malta. For more information visit our warehouse in Attard, or send an email to info@Fruitland. company A new, 900-passenger Tasmanian-built catamaran is expected by Virtu Ferries by the end of 2018 Plastic waste awaiting shipment