iGEN Volunteers Remove 2.25 Tons of Waste from Xemxija Bay

On 8 June, fifty volunteers representing twelve organizations conducted a coordinated cleanup operation at Xemxija Bay in Malta. The iGEN-led environmental initiative collected over 2.25 tons of debris from the shoreline, seabed, and adjacent nature reserve boundaries in observance of World Oceans Day.

Operational Coordination and Setup

The operation began at 08:30 when participants gathered at the local slipway. Dive leaders Adrian Sultana, Edward Sultana, and Raniero Borg from Raniero’s Adventures coordinated with Andrew Crosby of Aloha Gaming, who managed onshore logistics and supplied air tanks and collection sacks. After a supply truck delivered a waste container, the team established a base camp. Divers departed in a dinghy to locate and secure large submerged objects while volunteers organized into specialized groups.

Zone Assignments and Collection Results

Cleanup teams were distributed across distinct areas based on equipment and preference. Volunteers from Kindred, accompanied by several children, cleared plastic waste and seaweed from the sandy beach. Personnel from Light and Wonder, equipped with snorkeling gear, worked underwater to remove debris from the seabed between Beachaven Complex and the shore. Representatives from Bet365, led by Camilla Engelin, and KPMG Malta, directed by Edward Cachia Zammit and Russell Mifsud, focused on the Simar Nature Reserve perimeter, extracting wind-blown litter from coastal vegetation. Anna Dobrovolska and the 1Gamechanger team addressed the area north of the slipway, while Rob Jones of NoID and Madeleine Nadine cleared the immediate slipway beach.