Achievements 2018 & Objectives 2019

Achievement 2018

Objectives 2019 The Malta Independent on Sunday 20 January 2019

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Achievement 2018/Objectives 2019

Celebrating 85 years of an iconic Maltese product THREE HILLS

BRAND KUNSERVA

The year, 2019, marks the 85th anniversary of THREE HILLS BRAND KUNSERVA! This much-loved Maltese delicacy started way back in 1934, in Gozo, and till today it is still being produced according to the same original Gozitan recipe.

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he story all started by a humble businessman from Xewkija, Ganni Magro, who began his career as a general provision merchant in 1916. In the twenties, Gianni’s three male sons, who by then had joined the firm with their father to form Magro Brothers, ventured into yet another field that would eventually become the firm’s main business activity to present times; they started to contract and purchase tomatoes from Gozitan farmers. This pulpy fruit was already used in the local kitchen during the summer months when the crop was at its best, but it was not cultivated commercially.

By 1934, the three Magro brothers had completely taken over the business from their father and established themselves as leading general merchants and food distributors in Gozo. The Magro Brothers decided to start processing tomatoes to produce Kunserva, tomato-paste – a totally new venture for their firm. In 1934, the first Kunserva production was canned in containers with a capacity of five and a half pounds (5 pounds 8 ounces), equivalent to around 3 kgs. Grocers would then sell the Kunserva by weight and roll it in a grease-proof paper. The Three Hills Brand was an

immediate success and it was destined to become, in a few years’ time, a household name in Gozo, in Malta, and even abroad. The ingredients used are all natural and its exceptional taste

comes from the Maltese summer grown juicy tomatoes and the well-guarded, secret recipe and formulation created by the Magro family.

Kunserva is used widely in the Maltese kitchen. Nothing tastes as delicious as hard-crust Maltese bread spread with Kunserva, or ravjul bizzalza (ricotta-filled ravioli with a Kunserva and garlic sauce), not to mention the traditional culinary dishes such as stuffat tal-fenek, laham jew qarnit (rabbit, meat or octopus stews), soppa ta’ l-armla (widow‘s soup), imqarrunil forn (baked macaroni) and most pasta sauces! The addition of Kunserva to our dishes simply gives the dishes the signature of Maltese flavours!

Today, the traditional Kunserva is avai lable in 200g and 400g metal cans as we ll as for the catering sector. Kunserva is produced as well in glass jars and convenient squeezy tubes. Today’s lifestyle demands a more healthconscious diet. In response Three Hills Kunserva can be enjoyed with no added salt and with 30% Less Sugar added. For the adventurous ones, one can also try Kunserva with added tastes including mint and onion, basil and garlic or the pungent version; the Kunserva Pikkanti.

From 1934 till today, 85 years on, Three Hills Brand Kunserva is still very much “Fil-Qalb tal-Maltin” and will continue to be one of Malta’s staple kitchen ingredient!

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53.4 MILLION bus passengers in 2018 Another record for Public Transport in Malta

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alta Public Transport carried 53.4 million passengers in 2018, setting a new record in public transport. This represents an increase of 11.3% over 2017, when the company carried 48 million passengers in a year.

“We are very proud to be carrying 14 million people more than we carried in our first year of operation,” said Konrad Pulé, General Manager of Malta Public Transport. “This constant growth in numbers is a clear sign that the confidence in public transport is increasing.

Our thanks goes to all our passengers, who are choosing to

travel by bus instead of using a car.”

The routes carrying the most passengers were those serving Sliema, St. Julian’s, Bugibba and Cirkewwa, with route 13/13A carrying over 3 million passengers in a year.

Other routes increasing in popularity include routes serving the Mater Dei and university bus stops, which have seen passenger numbers increase by 13%.

The busiest day was the 8th of August, with over 186,000 passengers travelling on this day.

This was another record given that the highest amount of passengers that used the bus service in any day in 2017 was 164,000.

“Once again we would also

like to thank all our employees as this success would have not been possible without their dedication and commitment”,

explained Mr Pulé. “These results encourage us to continue working hard to improve our bus service further in order to

attract more and more people to use the bus, with the aim of reducing the number of cars on our roads.”

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TURNING VALLETTA INTO A

CULTURAL An interview with Minister for Culture Hon Dr Owen Bonnici

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hat would you consider as being the most impactful element of the European Capital of Culture on our country?

When looking back at the past months, especially the last eleven months, one of the most striking aspects of the Valletta 2018 journey was definitely the massive number of people engaged in the numerous cultural initiatives and events organised, either as participants or as audience. Valletta’s tenure as Europe’s

Capital of Culture gave our country the opportunity to generate an extensive cultural calendar and the staggering engagement generated by this calendar clearly indicates that our country appreciated the investment, an investment based on three main goals - that of increasing audiences, something which was definitely achieved and we look forward towards continuing to develop further; increasing standards and professionalism, an on-going process fostered by annual increases in the culture budget leading to more funding opportunities for our artistic community and

in turn, making the cultural sector an ever stronger economic contributor towards our county. A sector which enriches our standard of living whilst contributing towards our touristic product. The Valletta 2018 calendar included over 400 events spread around Malta and Gozo, marking 2018 as a milestone year, which we are hopeful that it will serve as a springboard for more achievements in the sector, in order to achieve the legacy of Malta’s first ever tenure of the European Capital of Culture.

Which was your favourite event?

To be honest it is quite difficult to choose one – I was lucky enough to be able to attend and experience a number of events. One of the events, which truly has left a mark, was definitely il-Festa lKbira, which brought together the four feasts celebrated in Valletta. A truly innovative approach to a popular tradition, which highlighted collaboration, bringing forward the spirit of unity which the European Capital of Culture aims to achieve. Another event that is definitely at heart was the opening of our first-ever national community art museum, aptly named MUŻA and one of Valletta 2018’s flagship projects.

MUŻA will be open free of charge for everyone to experience on Saturday 15 December, during the closing celebrations and I would like to encourage everyone to visit this space which has

culminated our target of restoring historic Valletta buildings to their former glory whilst giving them a purposeful use.

In your opinion, how did Valletta’s tenure of the European Capital of Culture contribute to the local cultural scene?

First of all , Valletta 2018 has contributed greatly to the embellishment of our capital city, giving it back the life it

LA BIENNALE DI VENEN Setting Malta, Maleth, at the centre of its theme, the project focuses on the role of the island as cultural centre of the Mediterranean Sea, both in history and in current times.

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he project seeks to present an exhibit which invites the audience to reflect on their own lifetime journey of self-discovery, their own search for a personal Haven/ Port.

Drawing on the tri-fold of history/archaeology, myth/tradition and vision/expectation, the exhibit aims to create within the space of the Malta Pavilion a topos/locus of artistic

conversation for the whole of the Mediterranean Sea. Absolutely entuned with this year’s theme of the Venice Art Biennale as described by its artistic director, the project 'will aim to welcome its public to an expansive experience of the deep involvement… engaging visitors in a series of encounters...', leading to selfdiscovery. Creating a space within a space, Evoking Heterotopias invites the audience to participate in an intuitive dialogue with the artworks which are organically placed within the built shell of the Venetian Arsenal. As vessels/ islands within a sea, artworks come together, in creating a unique experience for the visitor, who is asked to traverse the exhibition space in a voyage of self-discovery that takes place in a suggestive fictitious space of controlled light and sound.

The winning team comprises Dr Hesperia Iliadou Suppiej (lead curator), Vince Briffa (artist), Klitsa Antoniou (artist), Trevor Borg (artist) and Perit Matthew Joseph Casha (architect/designer). The production management team

comprises Mr Stephen Ciantar and Mr George Lazoglou.

The aim of the Malta Pavilion is to offer a platform through which Maltese contemporary artistic practices understood within the broadest sense of the term can be exposed, contextualised and presented to an international audience.

Dr Hesperia Iliadou-Suppiej (lead curator)

Hesperia Iliadou

CAVE OF DARKNESS – PORT OF NO RETURN

A site-specific installation by Trevor Borg Trevor Borg’s work titled Cave of Darkness– Port of No Return dives into the distant historical past of the island of Malta and of the Mediterranean itself to reimagine the story of Għar Dalam cave. His work proposes a re-imagined narrative of the story of the pre-historic animals that found refuge there only to finally meet their death when the level of the seas rose.

In a site-specific installation meticulously researched by the artist, excavated remains of never-seen-before creatures and peculiar artefacts retrieved from now lost ancient Mediterranean cultures re-emerge to expose new layers of meaning.

The artist invites the visitor into a mystical journey of surprise and self-inquiry navigating through the pre-historic layers of Malta in the footsteps of its earliest inhabitants and their final end. The work is an exploration of entrapment concealed within a safe haven.

OUTLAND

A multi-screen projection by Vince Briffa OUTLAND focuses on the indecisiveness of man as he longs to return to his original life, caught between the safety of an island and the peril of sea crossing.

Inspired by The Odyssey, it uses the myth of Calypso and Ulysses to reinterpret, in contemporary imagery and sound, the duality of the character of Calypso, as lover and oppressor, as she offers a haven for Ulysses during the seven years of his harbouring in her cave.

Through multiple films, the installation explores the numbness and the lure of safety, the obsession of keeping someone hostage and the longing for freedom.

ATLANTROPA: A HETEROTOPIA OF EVOCATION A multi- media installation by Klitsa Antoniou Atlantropa was a gigantic engineering and colonisation

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A VIBRANT

HUB sought for so many years. Today, Valletta is no longer just Republic Street but also other streets such as Strait Street, Merchant Street and even other areas on the periphery, which are full of life and activity and not just during the day but also at night, especially during the weekend. In the run-up to the European Capital of Culture, we have experienced a drastic change. Valletta has turned into a vibrant cultural hub and this celebration has been a catalyst for economic growth, bringing energy and buzz back where it belonged whilst retaining Valletta’s unique character and full respect towards the resident community.

Valletta 2018 provided a marvellous opportunity for our local artists, to showcase their talents and raise their profile in our country and beyond. This celebration has provided us with countless prospects for the promotion of local talent, and also aided us in the increase of professionalisation within the sector.

It has definitely been a unique outlet in which local and international artists could express themselves through creativity and the arts, thanks to events aimed at everyone, from different walks of life.

What’s next for the local cultural sphere?

I am very happy to say that Valletta 2018 was only the beginning. 2018 will

serve as a platform for years to come on which we can continue building our cultural legacy. Building on the solid foundations laid in the run up to 2018 and during the past year, foundations which including a massive investment in our cultural infrastructure that will not stop existing when this year is

NZIQ 2019 idea devised by the German architect Herman Sorgel in the 1920s. His project proposed to partially drain the Mediterranean forming a European supercontinent.

Today, more than ever, the Atlantropa scheme (of forming land bridges in the Mediterranean) seems relevant as it is suddenly fortified by contemporary intensity to remind us of the limits on freedom (migrants and refugees) and the destiny of the inhabitants of this area (surviving amid military, political, economic, social complexities/contrasts, migrations and fluid topographies of rejected, forgotten, unseen and silent memories).

This project in the context of the Malta Pavilion will aim to conceptually and artistically join the two islands of the Mediterranean, Malta and Cyprus, by offering glimpses on the utopian drives and the dystopian fallouts that characterise the Mediterranean area.

The 58th International Art Exhibition will be titled May You Live in Interesting Times, a

over. It is our intention to continue supporting such initiatives through investments, which strengthen the local cultural scene, not just in terms of capital investment but also our renewed commitment in the professionalisation of the sector and its internationalisation, whilst making sure that local pro-

gramming provides an enriching experience for all of our society. The Valletta Cultural Agency, as the natural heir of the Valletta Foundation will make sure that the momentum gained so far doesn’t get lost, ensuring a prosperous, sustainable legacy for the years to come.

ARTS COUNCIL MALTA ANNOUNCES WINNING PROJECT FOR THE MALTA PAVILION AT LA BIENNALE DI VENEZIA 2019

phrase of English invention that has long been mistakenly cited as an ancient Chinese curse that invokes periods of uncertainty, crisis and turmoil.

La Biennale di Venezia 2019 artistic director, Ralph Rugoff explained his choice for the theme: “An exhibition should open people's eyes to previously unconsidered ways of being in

the world and thus change their view of that world...” where “the meaning of artworks is not embedded principally in objects but in conversations – first between artist and artwork, and then between artwork and audience...”

Malta returned to La Biennale di Venezia in 2017 after a 17year absence. Prior to that, it had participated with a special

exhibition of Maltese Artists in 1958 and a National Pavilion in 1999.

The 2017 Malta Pavilion, entitled Homo Melitensis: An Incomplete Inventory in 19 Chapters, received international press acclaim, garnering a host of high-profile media accolades and acknowledgements. The Observer listed it as one of the five best pavilions, out of over

85 national pavilions, the Culture Trip listed it as one of “the 10 National Pavilions you can’t miss at the Venice Biennale” and Forbes magazine listed it as one of the 13 reasons to visit the Biennale Arte 2017.

Over 600,000 people visited the 57th International Art Exhibition and over 5,000 international journalists attended the press preview.

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Keeping those NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS The ancient Babylonians are said to have been the first people to make New Year’s resolutions, some 4,000 years ago, a tradition which, to this day, many of us still embrace.

Sadly, research shows that 50 per cent of us will have thrown our resolutions out of the window altogether by the end of this month.

Why, exactly, is it so hard to stick to our personal goals? CLAIRE BUGELLI’s talks about New Year’s resolutions and how we can make sure we keep to them in 2019. Words by Dayna Clarke. Photography by Joanna Demarco.

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laire, why do so many people make New Year’s resolutions? Many people consider the end of one year and the beginning of the next as a great time to take stock of their situation and make any changes they need to improve themselves and/or their personal issues. It is an opportunity to set in motion the process for a new beginning.

New Year’s resolutions allow people to move into the year with a more positive attitude, with the prospect of being more successful in any area they feel needs their attention.

What are the most common themes you come across? Resolutions are very personal and vary according to a person’s age and circumstances, as well as the priorities they may have at that point in their life. I would definitely say that, after all the food and drink during the festivities, the most common resolution involves losing weight and getting back into shape. However, some people resolve to give up bad habits such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, gambling or compulsive shopping.

Financial resolutions are also very popular. These may include discharging a debt or starting a savings plan.

Resolutions may involve changes in relationships or work. Essentially, they can involve any aspect of a person’s life with which he or she is unhappy and which, once altered, could help that person feel more content.

Why do so many people break resolutions after a few weeks? Making resolutions and wanting to change is not enough, and breaking them after a few weeks can be demoralising. Instead, this should be an exercise of selfreflection and analysis. Resolutions should be well considered and well planned if there is to be any hope of maintaining them and achieving the objective.

What can we do to stay on track with our resolutions? If you are planning to

make some resolutions this year, then you should make some ‘me time’ and identify the areas in your life you would like to change; understand why you want this change and how it will affect you; determine how you are feeling with yourself now, and how you believe this change will make you feel. Once you decide to go through with it, make a list of pros and cons and think how it can or will affect other aspects of your life. Additionally, being convinced that the change is for the better will help you to stay focused and to overcome any initial challenges.

Ultimately, self-motivation is the key.

Does it help to be more specific? It is absolutely critical that, although resolutions must be challenging, they

A resolution should look like a map leading you to your final destination that allows you to celebrate the small victories along the way.

You can then monitor your progress and reward yourself accordingly.

should also be achievable. Otherwise, they will only lead to frustration and a sense of failure. This can be done by breaking them down into smaller, more manageable, steps, the completion of which will encourage you to reach your ultimate goals. Be specific as to what you want to achieve and establish a time-frame. In this way, you can devise a step-by-step plan towards it. A resolution should look like a map leading you to your final destination that allows you to celebrate the small victories along the way. You can then monitor your progress and reward yourself accordingly.

What are your top tips for staying on track? Find a ‘resolution buddy’ who can help you stay on track: someone who has the same ambition as you and with whom you can work and discuss.

This gives you a sense of support and accountability, as well as a healthy dose of competition.

Depending on the nature of the resolution, you may opt to engage a professional for further advice and specific direction.

Sharing your resolution with those around you can also be motivating, provided that these are people who will encourage you along the way rather than discourage or dissuade you. In this case, a sense of pride and wanting to prove you can do it, comes into play.

Can making a resolution actually work? Resolutions do work but you must also keep in mind the fact that life comes in cycles and that situations evolve. Circumstances change and certain issues may need to be tackled differently. Naturally, things may not always fall into place when or how we would like them to, but in most instances we will reach a point where we can move on with our lives. The process may be hard and often painful, but you will certainly come out as a different, more mature individual. You must look at any situation as a learning experience: a stepping stone to something greater and more meaningful.

We humans are resilient and can rise to any occasion. The important thing is to always empower oneself. The festive season will soon be over and the lights and the decorations will come down. Yet, ultimately, for each one of us it is neither the end nor the beginning. For everyone it is a continuation of our journey through life. Each day is a new opportunity to improve and unveil an even better version of ourselves.

Claire Bugelli is one of Malta’s leading life coaches and director of Bounce Life Coaching Malta, she has helped numerous people to improve their quality of life and achieve their goals. She specialises in relationship coaching and transitions, as well as lifestyle.

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A successful year for PERSONS WITH DISABILITY and OLDER PERSONS The pace to gear up after the New Year festivities tends to take quite some time.

Well, not in the case of the Parliamentary Secretariat for Persons with Disability and Active Ageing.

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fter a positive 2018 just after the festive season, the Parliamentary Secretariat for Persons with Disability and Active Ageing immediately got back on track with the strategic plan for the year ahead, closing off initiatives that only had a few final touches and coming up with new ideas for ways to address issues experienced by the older people and persons with disability.

Community and Residential Services for Older Persons Throughout 2018, the Parliamentary Secretariat for Persons with Disability and Active Ageing focused on improving long term care and promoting active ageing for our elderly.

All measures initiated or completed are aimed to bring the country and its society one step further towards the desired goals of the Electoral Manifesto and ultimately, towards a better future for all.

To highlight a few actions taken in the elderly sector, 2018 saw the introduction of courses for older persons to become better oriented and conversant with the use of digital technology, which element is an integral part of the National Strategic Policy for Active Ageing 2014 - 2020. The Welfare Committee sponsored tablets to older persons living in residential homes and provided training for the residents to learn how to make use of such tablets. Furthermore, together with the Malta Communications Authority, the Parliamentary Secretariat for Persons with Disability and Active Ageing initiated the programme Ċavetta Diġitali, aimed at increasing the digital competence of older

persons living in the community.

Encouraging older persons to live in the community is a priority for this Government; this is further sustained by ample community services that cater for the diverse needs of older persons from providing daily support, household maintenance, recreations to professional therapy. To name a few schemes, the Department of Active Ageing and Community Care provides handyman services, meals-on-wheels, home help, occupational and physiological therapy.

Additionally, the 28 active ageing centres across the country ensure that older adults participate in a diversity of activities and events.

Without any doubt, the introduction of Silver T, a community free transport service aimed at enriching the lives of our elderly by providing support in day-today community activities, was a huge success. By assisting older persons who need to go on various errands, enhance accessibility to various entities, departments and services, help older persons retain a good level of independency, whilst supporting informal carers in their responsibilities, this project addressed the matters that it was set out. Starting in Zurrieq, Mosta and Gzira, as a pilot project in 2018, this initiative will be extended in other localities in 2019.

Moreover, older persons can

continue to be active, even within an institutionalised faculty, as is the case at St Vincent De Paul, the long-term facility for older persons. Here, numerous activities that encourage the socio-cultural dimension in the lives of older persons were also undertaken, such as the annual fun run, a celebration for Pink October, the introduction of theatrical activities in collaboration with Manoel Theatre, and religious events such as those for Good Friday and the feast for St Vincent De Paul.

Inclusion and Independent Living for Persons with Disability Many efforts have been acted on and implemented to make our country more accessible and to increase awareness amongst the public on the rights of persons with disability. The Commission for the Rights of Persons with Disability, CRPD, has been doing a brilliant job to safeguard such rights.

Yet, as indicated in the Commission’s Annual Report 2016/17, they still receive ample complains, particularly with regards to physical accessibility, challenges encountered by persons with disability in education and the provision of goods and services.

One measure to increase accessibility in socio-cultural events was Festi Inklussivi. In the first half of 2018, the

Parliamentary Secretary for Persons with Disability and Active Ageing, Anthony Agius Decelis, launched this initiative with a total budget of €100,000.

Festi Inklussivi 2018 was aimed at encouraging local band clubs to take up projects that promote inclusion in their local feasts.

Through this scheme, 19 projects in different communities to offer accessibility for all were selected.

Furthermore, this Government has continued its investment in the disability sector. New and continued services have been provided through Aġenzija Sapport, with a commitment to enhance the quality of life of persons with disability through innovative personalised support, expertise and advocacy.

During February, INK (an EU funded project was launched), to promote employment opportunities with persons with disability. This project is based on providing training and support to three main stakeholder: persons with disability, their caregivers, and employers. Through this type of bridge building, more employment opportunities can be created and persons with disability would be in a better position to access employment.

The Parliamentary Secretary Agius Decelis continued to push forward the concept of independent living, thus, encouraging supported small community living settings, over

institutionalised care. In fact, Proġett Soċjetà Ġusta saw the opening of its 11th home in the community for persons with disability over the first and second legislation of this Government.

Within this sector, caregivers play an essential role, and when developing new policy measures and projects, they are considered. Throughout the first few months of this legislation, the Parliamentary Secretary for Persons with Disability and Active Ageing has met and heard their queries. Thus, it was only logical that the next project in line would be more respite services to be able to sustain the families’ support towards their children.

Looking ahead for another year Evidently, 2018 was one busy year for the Parliamentary Secretariat for Persons with Disability and Active Ageing. It seems that 2019 will not be any slower.

The Parliamentary Secretary for Persons with Disability and Active Ageing, Anthony Agius Decelis, looks ahead to implement the measures raised in the Budget 2019, a social budget which is full of measures and initiatives that will continue to improve the lives of individuals and families, so that everyone can enjoy Malta’s strong economic growth and the success of our country.

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Turning organic waste into a valuable resource: A CALL FOR ACTION Recent figures show that organic waste accounts for roughly half of the waste we dispose of every day in the black bag which is collected on a door-to-door basis in Malta and Gozo. This waste, rich in energy, nutrients and water, ends up being dumped in landfills. Burying organic waste in landfill is a big problem and it’s not just because of the resources we lose. When organic waste is dumped in landfill, it undergoes anaerobic decomposition and generates methane gas. When released

into the atmosphere, methane is 25 times more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, contributing to global warming.

To address this issue, on 31st October 2018, WasteServ launched a nationwide organic waste collection. This initiative was built on the success of a pilot project launched in 2015, when all the localities in Gozo and 9 localities in Malta were invited to participate in recycling organic waste. This new waste collection, taking place every Monday, Wednesday and Friday,

follows the nationwide distribution of green organic waste collection bins, and accompanying white collection bags. It also builds upon the Abandonment, Dumping and Disposal of Waste in Streets and Public Places or Areas Regulations which are aimed at bettering our environment, whilst also conditioning our civic duty through measures such as taking out the right bag on the right day and the provision of waste separation during public events.

All organic waste collected in the white bag is taken to the Sant Antnin Waste Treatment Plant at Marsascala where, after being checked, it is placed into a waste digester to decompose. This process yields several by-products including compost and heat.

Interestingly, some of this heat generated by recycling organic waste is used to warm the water in the swimming pool of the Inspire Foundation which is used for therapeutic swimming.

The Sant Antnin Waste Treatment Plant can treat organic material, which includes soiled paper and

napkins, all cooked and raw food including bones, fish and shellfish, bread and pasta, rotten fruit and vegetables, fruit and vegetable peels, tea bags and ground coffee, egg shells, leaves and flowers.

More information is available at www.wasteservmalta.com or by calling the freephone number 8007 2200.

Source: FIRST Magazine November 2018