19+

YRE Winner – Photo 19-21yrs: One Sandwich Short of a Picnic

submitted by Eco-Centre Zejtun : Johann Camilleri  for 19+
dissemination(s): Facebook, other
filed under Photos

In Europe, about 90 million tonnes of food is wasted annually. According to NSO Malta, on average, 22% of the amount of food purchased weekly by Maltese residents, end up in the solid waste stream. Not only households throw away food, but food is also wasted due to over-production or inadequate storage or packaging. Wiser shopping planning avoids good food being thrown away. Food leftovers can be refrigerated or frozen and used for other meals. Products like bread and vegetables can be given to farmers to feed their animals. Over-ripe fruit can make healthy fresh smoothies or fruit pies, while vegetables make delicious healthy soups instead of bulging our trash bins. Our wise great grandmothers used to turn left over bread into mouth-watering bread puddings. This is more than worthwhile considering that according to the UN Water, to produce 1 slice of bread, 40 litres of water are used up.



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Wrigley Winner – Photo 19-21yrs: Fruit for Thought

submitted by Eco-Centre Zejtun : Johann Camilleri  for 19+
dissemination(s): Facebook, other
filed under Photos

An FAO report states that 1.3 billion tonnes of food per year is wasted. This amounts to about a third of the food for human consumption and is lost or wasted through the entire food chain, from farm to plate. According to the UN Environment Program, when throwing away food, we are wasting major resources such as water, land, labor and energy which are used up to produce such food. Food waste which ends up in landfills contributes to global warming and climate change since it adds 3.3 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases to the planet’s atmosphere. Considering that 13.1% of people are hungry and 33% of food is wasted, we must keep in mind that the food we waste and throw away will have been the meal for those suffering hunger. As Pope Francis said: “Throwing food away is like stealing from the tables of the poor, the hungry!”



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Heap of Refuse

submitted by Giovanni Curmi Naxxar Higher Secondary School : Ylenia Camilleri Brennan  for 19+
dissemination(s): newspaper, radio, school magazine, school media
filed under Photos

I was recently informed that a heap of refuse was lying beside a beautifully built traditional rubble wall. This consists of old chairs, plastic bottles, metal cans and plastic bags being dumped on the rubble wall as well as between the stones, slowly crushing the flora that grows there. As one can clearly see, this state of affairs is causing a real eyesore, the more so since this area is very popular with hikers. Local farmers also informed us that this heap of refuse was regularly visited by rats. We appeal to the authorities concerned to remove this refuse as quickly as possible, to clean the area and to erect a sign with a warning that persons caught dirtying the place will be prosecuted and an appeal to be environment friendly.



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