More than 2000kg of waste were cleared from Comino in just six hours during a recent clean-up targeting the area around the old bakery, Il-Forn. The effort focused primarily on removing decades-old glass shards scattered across the island’s garigue; a serious hazard for both wildlife and fire safety.

Volunteers managed to collect over 1,600 kg of glass, more than 100 kg of general litter, and around 500 kg of bulky waste. The activity highlighted the severity of glass pollution across Comino, especially in previously overlooked areas that had been used as informal dumping grounds.

One such area, a long-abandoned agricultural storeroom near Il-Forn, had clearly served as a glass disposal site for years. This location has now been fully cleared. However, a much larger and more concerning site remains: an untreated glass landfill containing waste remnants from the former Comino Hotel. This site still poses a major environmental risk and will require further attention to restore.

Following the land-based clean-up, two volunteers remained on the island to conduct a coastal clean-up by kayak, collecting additional debris from along the shoreline.

The event formed part of the “Ditch the Waste – Save Comino” campaign, an initiative led by Friends of the Earth Malta and supported by Din L-Art Ħelwa and the Malta Environmental Foundation. It complements ongoing efforts to preserve the island’s ecological integrity, particularly through FoEM’s Il-Forn ta’ Kemmuna project, which will see the old bakery restored and transformed into an environmental education centre.

The organisations extended their gratitude to all those involved, including Comino Ferries Co-Op, which provided free boat transport for volunteers, and the Gozo Maintenance and Cleansing Department, which handled the transfer of collected waste to the mainland.

Despite the success of this initiative, environmental advocates stress that continued clean-up efforts are urgently needed.

Members of the public are encouraged to support the ongoing restoration by making a donation here!