Best Entry

Making our school tuck shop greener

submitted by St Thomas More College Middle & Secondary School Zejtun : Aiden Delia, Avril Muscat, Cleavon Borg, Cressida Azzopardi, Gabriella Caruana, Leah Marie Camilleri, Liam Galea, Luca Attard, Mariah Victoria Grima, Neil Demarco, Shelley Callus  for 15-18
campaign: YRE Entry
dissemination(s): other, School Celebration Day, school magazine, school media, website
filed under Reporting video Video Clips
awarded: Best Entry

The EkoSkola committee of STMC Middle and Secondary School Zejtun carried out an environmental review of the school at the beginning of the scholastic year. They noticed that many single use disposable items were being distributed by the tuckshop, including paper bags, wooden cutlery, paper cups and plastic lids. The students decided to implement a tuckshop loyalty card system which encourages students to bring their own reusable containers, cups and cutlery from home, for which they get a stamp on their loyalty card. Once 20 stamps are collected, this is exchanged for positive points. Waste data was collected from the tuckshop supplier before and after implementing the system. Following the successful implementation of the tuckshop loyalty card system, the amount of paper bags decreased by 15%, the amount of wooden cutlery decreased by 10% and the number of cups and lids decreased by 50%, in just 4 weeks.



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Nature finds a way, but at what cost?

submitted by Sacred Heart College : Elizabeth Jade Pace and Zoe Zammit  for 11-14
campaign: YRE Entry
dissemination(s): other, school media, Students' personal social media platforms
filed under Photos Reporting photo
awarded: Best Entry

Nature has an incredible ability to adapt and find a way to survive even in the most challenging conditions. However, this resilience often comes at a significant cost. Malta is an example of how rapid population growth, overdevelopment and loss of habitat have a negative impact on our lives and the islands biodiversity.   Malta has a rapidly growing population. Malta’s population grew from 417,432 in 2011 to 519,562 in 2021, that is roughly an increase of 25%. On a more worrying note, Eurostat figures show that between 2000 and 2021, construction activity in Malta shot up by an astronomical 330%. This is leading to the destruction of many natural habitats and rural areas in and around our towns and villages.     This loss of habitat has had a significant impact on the country’s biodiversity, with many species now endangered such as the Maltese Freshwater Crab and the Vagrant Hedgehog. The destruction of habitats has also had a knock-on effect on the ecosystem, affecting the pollination of plants and agriculture.  The Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (BES) index, formulated by the Swiss Re Institute, marked 100% of Malta’s ecosystems as fragile!   Nature may find a way to adapt to these changes, but the long-term consequences of overdevelopment and loss of habitat can be catastrophic. It is crucial that we take action to protect and preserve the natural world before it is too late.   Location: Delimara, Marsaxlokk Malta



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Nothing to see here

submitted by Sacred Heart College : Melissa Sansone Sciberras, Nicole Farrugia Wismayer  for 11-14
campaign: YRE Entry
dissemination(s): other, school media, Students' personal social media platforms
filed under Campaigning photo Photos
awarded: Best Entry

What happened to our precious world? Is there really anything left to see here? Construction is one of the largest industries in Malta. The high demand for property development in Malta is having a significant impact on the island’s natural environment. One of the main concerns is the loss of green spaces and the fragmentation of habitats due to urbanization. Additionally, the construction process can lead to soil erosion, water and noise pollution and can have negative effects on local biodiversity. Furthermore, construction activities generate large amounts of waste, which can be difficult to manage and dispose of in a sustainable manner. While the Maltese government has introduced regulations to minimize the environmental impact of construction, there is still much work to be done to ensure that construction activities are carried out in a sustainable and responsible way that preserves Malta’s natural environment for future generations. Building excessive buildings everywhere is ruining our natural environment, filling our hometowns with apartment blocks, offices, casinos and hotels. What about our new generations?  What oxygen are we breathing? When are we going to stop building unsustainably? Are we ready to start taking down built-up areas and return them to nature, by planting trees instead? Location: St. Julian’s, Malta



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Out of mind but not out of sight: The problem with litter

submitted by St Martin's College : Catriona Jo Buhagiar  for 11-14
campaign: YRE Entry
dissemination(s): other, Youtube channel
filed under Campaigning video Video Clips
awarded: Best Entry

When we throw away something, where does it really go? Waste is something we can never get rid of, and has detrimental effects on the environment. Despite this, there are ways to reduce its impact it has on our Earth through sustainable waste management.



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Tiles from the Ocean

submitted by De La Salle College : Benjamin Calleja Falzon  for 11-14
campaign: YRE Entry
dissemination(s): Instragram, other, school magazine, school media, website
filed under Photos series-of-photos
awarded: Best Entry

Let me start by introducing myself – my name is Benjamin Calleja Falzon (Benji in short), I live in Mellieha and will be turning 11 years old this year. I am in Year 6 at De La Salle College, Malta and I’ve recently joined the Young Reports for the Environment (YRE) Malta community. For those of you who do not know what this is, YRE is a global programme designed for students with the main aim being to carry out investigations on local environmental issues and propose solutions through reporting and photojournalism. I have decided to tackle the growing problem of illegal dumping on our island, specifically tiles in our ocean 🌊. Through this page my mission is to spread awareness on the subject of illegal dumping and hope to inspire others to start doing simple things to help protect the earth 🌍. link to Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/tilesfromtheocean



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Loss of Natural Habitat

submitted by Gozo College Middle School : Emma Lynn Cauchi  for 11-14
campaign: YRE Entry
dissemination(s): EcoSchools noticeboard, other, school magazine, school media, website
filed under Photos Reporting photo
awarded: Best Entry

Photos show contrastic realities of wildlife living in their natural habitat with a growing concern that these must adapt to new surroundings which are often overwhelmed with human progress and urban sprawl. Photo 1 Snail – “Let me roam as free as can be!” In this picture, the snail is seen happily wandering on leaves in its natural habitat which is still untouched by human beings. Photo 2 Dragonfly – “I prefer a pond or stream rather than this cold piece of steel!” Here, the dragonfly is seen in a different habitat than the one it is used to. Photo 3 Bee “Let me be, wild and free!” The wasp is admired in its natural habitat. Photo 4 Building The spreading of urban developments destroying wildlife habitats.



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Interview with the Coast is Clear Founder

submitted by MRC NAXXAR PRIMARY : Ninu Scicluna  for 7-10
campaign: YRE Entry
dissemination(s): school media, website
filed under Reporting video Video Clips
awarded: Best Entry



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Watch Your Steps!

submitted by DINGLI PRIMARY : Ruby Mifsud & Zack Abela Medici  for 7-10
campaign: YRE Entry
dissemination(s): College website and fb page, other, school magazine, website
filed under Campaigning photo Photos
awarded: Best Entry

Animals and insects need our help, especially bees and snails. They need our awareness and our protection. The most important thing to do is to be careful where to step. The worst thing to do is to not take notice and act like nothing is going on around you. The world needs our help and we have to do something. Remember, teamwork makes the dream work and that means we have to work together to save the world. Take a small step to save the world by first helping the living things around you.



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An ethical wardrobe

submitted by St Nicholas College Secondary School Ħad-Dingli : Amy Smith, Angelo Graham, Antonia Ciappara, Faith Bondin, John Mizzi, Julienne Portelli, Lisa Aquilina, Sara Marie Mifsud  for 11-14
campaign: YRE Entry
dissemination(s): school media, website
filed under Campaigning video Video Clips
awarded: Best Entry

A group of budding environmentalists at St Nicholas College Secondary School Ħad-Dingli have been investigating the environmental impact of the clothing industry. They were not happy with just highlighting the issue but have also come up with suggestions how changes in our lifestyle can reduce the negative impact on the environment of this industry. So join us…let’s redesign fashion!



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The Climate is changing, so should we!

submitted by Gozo College Middle School : Elly Cutajar  for 11-14
campaign: YRE Entry
dissemination(s): radio, school media, website
filed under Reporting video Video Clips
awarded: Best Entry

Young Reporter for the Environment, Elly Cutajar, highlights the importance of using alternative modes of transport to help stop climate change.    



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