On September 16, 2023, iGEN organized a coastal cleanup at the Qalet Marku peninsula in Bahar ic Caghaq, Malta, as an official participant of World Cleanup Day 2023. Fifty-four volunteers from iGaming companies and their families collected waste to support the Malta Ranger Unit NGO.
Event Logistics and Participant Coordination
The initiative involved representatives from KPMG, William Hill, Mr Green, Internet Vikings, Synot Games, Betsson, and NoID. Teams began operations at 09:30 using black bags donated by CleanMalta, protective gloves, luggage scales, and area maps. The primary objective was to weigh the collected debris and register the total mass in the World Cleanup Day global database. The event coincided with Valletta Pride annual parade, yet volunteer turnout remained sufficient to cover three designated zones along the shoreline. Temperatures reached approximately 30 C under clear skies.Environmental Monitoring and Regional Context
The cleanup preceded a monitoring agreement between the Malta Ranger Unit, ERA, and the local council. Qalet Marku has historically faced environmental violations, including illegal construction and household waste dumping, unauthorized hunting, and unregulated gatherings. During the weeks before the event, the MRU was participating in an 800 km sponsored fundraising hike, which correlated with a noticeable rise in accumulated litter. Anna Dobrovolskaya of Internet Vikings stated that the collective effort aimed to maintain long-term environmental standards.The World Cleanup Day movement has engaged over 71 million participants across 197 countries over the past six years. Source: iGEN event materials.