4,000 single-use plastic drinks bottles have been remolded into a massive art installation on the Ta’ Pinu Sanctuary grounds in Għarb, Gozo.

The installation depicting Christ was created by Maltese environmental artist Joseph Barbara to raise awareness and encourage action against plastic waste.

The art installation will be on show for three months and was made from drinks bottles recycled by residents or picked up in clean-up activities around Gozo organised by the Cast-Out project founded by Jo Curtis, TV producer and Cast-Out project manager, and run with the aid of campaign partner and facilitator Neil Purssey. Volunteers as young as five and as old as 76 turned out for clean-ups that are regularly being done in Gozo.

“The European Parliament Office in Malta has endorsed the Cast-Out Project because it reflects two elements which the European Parliament holds dear: a community spirit and the commitment towards a better environment,” said Dr Mario Sammut, Head of the European Parliament’s Office in Malta. He gave an insight into the European Union’s policies in relation to the EU Plastics Strategy, including the ban on single use plastics, the move to stop the unloading of plastic waste on countries in the developing world, the requirement to integrate recycled plastic in plastic bottles, and the drive towards a circular economy.

The Cast-Out project is being funded by the Ministry for Gozo, and supported by the European Parliament Liaison Office in Malta, the Queen Mary University of London Malta Campus, and the Melita Foundation among others.  

Background:

The European Union produces more than 2.5 billion tonnes of waste every year. To counteract this, the EU has banned since July certain single-use plastic items from being placed on the EU Member States’ markets, and marking requirements are in force for products allowed.

The EU is also currently updating its legislation on waste management to promote a change in how we produce and consume with the new circular economy action plan that includes proposals on more sustainable product design, reducing waste and empowering consumers (such as a right to repair).

These measures are part the European Green Deal, a set of policies and legislative measures aiming to better protect the environment and reduce climate change.

Further details on the Cast-Out project:

Website: www.cast-out.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CastOutMalta