On September 16, 2023, the iGaming Employers Network (iGEN) organized a cleanup event at the Qalet Marku peninsula on the north coast of Malta. The gathering involved 54 volunteers from the iGaming sector and their families, operating as official participants of World Cleanup Day.
The event coincided with the global World Cleanup Day, which saw participation from 197 countries and a cumulative six-year total of 71 million people. Local companies including KPMG, William Hill, Mr Green, Internet Vikings, Synot Games, Betsson, and NoID contributed personnel to the effort. The turnout was noted despite the simultaneous occurrence of the Valletta Pride parade.
The primary objective was to weigh the collected waste for the global database and prepare the site for the Malta Ranger Unit (MRU).
Environmental Monitoring and Logistics
The MRU selected Qalet Marku due to a history of environmental violations, including illegal dumping of construction and household waste, unauthorized hunting, and unregulated gatherings. While the MRU was conducting an 800 km sponsored hike to raise funds, scouting by iGEN revealed a significant increase in local waste accumulation.
The cleanup began at 09:30 under sunny conditions with temperatures approaching 30°C. Volunteers utilized black bags donated by CleanMalta, protective gloves, luggage scales, and maps to document the waste removal across three designated focus areas.
Families from participating companies focused on clearing the sandy beach area between the slipway and the main road. Anna Dobrovolskaya of Internet Vikings commented on the event: "Thank you to everyone who joined iGEN in this effort. Let us keep the momentum going for a cleaner, healthier planet." The collected data will be submitted to the World Cleanup Day organizers to support the MRU's new collaboration with ERA and the local council.