AN EFFORT FOR A GREENER FUTURE

Words by Rachel Zammit Cutajar

A collective effort towards saving our planet is the only way to keep climate change under control. Maria Tirone, Events Manager at iGamingNEXT, is pulling her weight and encouraging people to do the same

One single warrior, no matter how strong, makes very little difference when fighting a war. However, when you add the efforts of hundreds of soldiers, they are capable of beating the most formidable foe. Becoming more ecologically aware and reducing our impact on the environment is much the same. One single person cannot make much difference, but if everyone becomes even a little eco-friendlier, then the summation of our efforts will have a huge effect on the planet.

Maria Tirone, Events Manager at iGamingNEXT, is one such warrior. While the human impact on the environment is nothing new and Maria does not consider herself to be a pioneer, she had upped her battle against environmental destruction when when she had fallen pregnant with her now two-and-a-half-year-old son. “Though everyone understands the need to look after the planet a little better, there is normally a catalyst which starts a change in lifestyle. The idea of leaving behind a habitable planet for future generations tends to hit home a little harder when you have vested interest in it – your own flesh and blood. Before I became pregnant, I always did my bit, but wanting to leave the planet a better place for my son made me all the more conscious.”

Although she's now been on a plant-based diet for six years, she also grew more aware of the products she was buying, and their contents... “Following a vegetarian diet was an obvious start for me, but it then became more than that. I became more aware, not only of the ingredients in the products, but also of their packaging. I try to shop at places where you can buy produce such as rice, nuts and beans without any packaging, and just take my own. Holland and Barrett and Casa Natura in Sliema offer greener solutions, and even the larger supermarkets are now catering for the more environmentally conscious with eco-friendly brands.”

According to Statista - the European Union’s statistic database - every person generates an average of 500kg of municipal waste per year, with Maltese citizens generating the third most waste, after Denmark and Luxembourg according to their 2019 estimates. By 2050, worldwide municipal solid waste generation is expected to have increased by roughly 70% to 3.4 billion metric tons. This is due to a number of factors, such as population growth, urbanisation and economic growth, as well as consumer shopping habits. Every year, humans produce millions of tons of waste, and this is increasingly becoming a major issue worldwide.

“It’s not always easy to go the eco-friendly way. You have to remember to carry the right things – fabric bags when you're shopping, making sure you take a water bottle with you so you don’t have to buy water in single-use containers etc. I use reuseable nappies and carry a wet cloth with a home-made solution made from baby oil and soap instead of wet wipes.”

“I try to avoid plastic whenever I can. There is almost always an option that is made with natural fibres, from hairbrushes to sponges. If they can’t be completely natural, then there are always biodegradable options. You can find brands of disposable nappies that completely break down in three to six years, as opposed to the 300 years it would take for popular brands to disappear. There are lots of local online companies that offer greener solutions, especially for kids. It’s a little bit more expensive to take this route but one that, I feel, is necessary for the future. Some of the places I shop online from include Ikkuluriti, The Cloth Nappy Company, Be Leaf, Bump and Me and Bebbuxu.”

Less than 20% of worldwide waste is recycled each year, with huge quantities still sent to landfill sites. Richer countries produce more waste than poorer countries, but typically have better waste management to help deal with these issues.

According to most recent statistics published by Eurostat, only 19.2% of plastic packaging was recycled in Malta. That is less than half the rate of the European median, which averaged at 41.5%.

Understanding the importance of recycling means we must acknowledge its place in our wider waste management practices. As part of the waste management hierarchy, recycling is the final piece of the three Rs system - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. This means that, while recycling is highly important in the way we manage waste today, we should be looking towards the reduction and reuse of materials as the priority. Reducing the burden on the recycling industry is key to helping it work more effectively and efficiently. Maria follows this hierarchy insisting that our main focus should be on limiting consumption. We live in a world where we are pressured to consume all the time. And this is the mentality, she says, that needs to change. The fashion industry highlights this problem, with declining garment quality and the fast pace at which trends change creating a monster in our closet. She insists that we need to avoid the fast fashion culture and focus on buying only what we need, buying quality items, and buying locally.

“My partner is Swedish, and we travel to the north of Europe quite often, but I only have one heavy winter coat which I bought around five years ago. When I shop, I only buy items that I really need and then I try to shop at boutique stores that don’t fly their items half way across the world. When I do buy from the larger franchises, I got for the eco-friendly, organically-produced items, which most big brands are now starting to offer. I don’t buy things because they are pretty, or because they are cheap. I buy them because I need them, and I'll wear them until they're worn out.” Diet is another area in which people can make a change towards becoming more eco-friendly. A global shift to a plant-based diet could reduce greenhouse gases caused by food production by 70% by 2050, according to research published by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. Another study published in 2021 estimates 57% of all greenhouse gases from food production comes from meat and dairy products, with beef contributing most significantly to emissions. Only 29% of global greenhouse emissions are said to come from plant-based food production. Eating one hamburger daily (75g beef) could contribute as much greenhouse gas as driving a car for 11,580km compared with 150g beans contributing the same greenhouse gases as driving that same car for 150km.

“I eat a vegan diet 60-70% of the time, sometimes allowing cheese and eggs into my diet, mostly because eating out is difficult when you are restrictive. A chocolate addiction is also difficult to manage under strict vegan rules,” she says with a smile. Her partner, Niclas Elfsedt, is a professional boxer and personal trainer who also follows a plant-based diet, and they're bringing up their son to follow suit. “He’ll be allowed to make the decision on his own when he's old enough to understand the choices he's making.”

Maria believes that education is the key to getting people to become more environmentally conscious, and tries to spread her knowledge as much as she can. In a working environment she, and the rest of the team, do their utmost to make iGamingNEXT a little greener.

“Unfortunately, the events industry is not known for its green impact, generating a lot of waste. However, when we sit down to organise an event, we do spend time trying to come up with greener solutions, that will see less waste and avoiding single-use plastics. We’ve done away with single-use plastic coffee cups at our coffee dispensers and no longer print programmes, opting for a QR code and digital programmes instead. Every step we can take to make the company greener is a win for everyone.”

Maria’s advice to anyone wanting to live a greener lifestyle is to take the time to become a little bit more aware. Do you really need the item you're about to purchase? Do you know what’s in it? Is there a greener option? Do you need the packaging? The summation of small efforts will be what effectively has an impact on the planet.

HOUSEHOLD THREATS

Becoming more environmentally aware starts with the products you buy. While we're all trying to reduce the amount of plastic we use, many everyday items lying around your home can be contributing to the problem of environmental degradation. Raw materials, how they're produced or how they're disposed of could be causing damage. These are some of the most ecologically harmful items you may have in your own home. Are you aware of the damage that all these products cause?

MATTRESSES

According to the European Bedding Industry Association, up to 30 million mattresses are thrown away every year with an estimated 60% of those ending up in the landfill and 40% incinerated. They are made using hazardous, flame-retardant chemicals that can leach into drinking water supplies. The good news is that that 85% of the mass of a mattress can be disassembled, recycled and used in the manufacture of other new useful products.

TEA BAGS

How harmful can a cup of tea be? Not many people are aware that the harmless-looking tea bag is sealed with plastic, and, though the amounts are pretty small, polypropylene from your daily cuppa builds up thanks to the 6bn cups of tea brewed in the UK alone. These contaminate composts or end up in the landfill. Fortunately, many brands are switching to sustainable tea bags, and it’s pretty easy to go without the bag and use loose leaf tea and a strainer.

HAND GEL

Covid has increased the use of antibacterial gel. Most of them are made with triclocarbon (TCC) and triclosan (TSC), two chemicals that are known to degrade very slowly. These chemicals have been known to leech into the water system contaminating lakes and rivers, and harming aquatic life.

TOOTHPASTE AND FACIAL SCRUBS

Is your fresh minty breath damaging the environment? Microbeads in some toothpastes, facial scrubs and soaps are too small for most water treatment plants to filter out, and so end up in the water system. Aside from harming aquatic life, they soak up toxic pesticides and metals. There's an estimated 14 million tonnes of microplastics on the world’s ocean floor, and as recently as March, scientists have found microplastics in the blood of almost 80% of their human samples. Though health impacts are as yet unknown, researchers are concerned that the particles can travel around the body and lodge themselves in organs. Many countries have banned small beads used in soaps, so be aware and make responsible purchases.

CAT LITTER

Made with sodium bentonite clay, cat litter is an ecological hazard, as it is sourced by environmentally devastating strip mining. It's greatly responsible for the clearing of topsoil, and the destruction of trees and habitat. If ingested, it can also be poisonous for your cat. Look for brands that don’t use sodium bentonite, and always make sure you compost it.

LAUNDRY DETERGENT AND WASHING UP LIQUID

Phosphates in laundry detergents and washing up liquids get into the waterways that lead to algae blooms, suffocating fish and other marine life. The chemicals that strip the dirt from clothing – surfactants – also cause damage to marine life. Choose phosphatefree brands to reduce the environmental from your sparkly clean household.

VEGETABLE OIL

Vegetable oil has similar environmental effect to that of petroleum! Coating animals and plants with oil and suffocating them by oxygen depletion, destroying habitats, damaging food supplies and clogging water treatment plants are just some of the environmental effects of vegetable oil. Do you really need those fries after reading that?

REFRIGERATORS

The consumption of fossil fuels is just one of the ill effects of keeping your drinks cool. Made with a foam that contains gas “1,000 times worse than carbon dioxide” (New York Times), fridges are dealing an environmental blow to our planet. Alternatives such as hydrocarbon fridges made without R134a are now making an appearance to save the day.

SCENTED CANDLES

What is the cost of that beautiful, perfumed scent in your home after you’ve lit a scented candle? Paraffin wax has been shown to affect air quality, emitting chemicals that cause cancer and asthma. Many candles use wicks that are made from cotton wrapped around mental. This produces a soot which causes breathing difficulties.

PERFUME

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) found in perfumes react with other chemicals in the air, thus damaging the ozone. According to Allure’s Macaela Mackenzie, these chemical vapours do as much damage as petroleum emissions from cars. Essential oils or sustainable perfumes are the way to go to add to your sustainable wardrobe.