The BIG Litter Pick – Milltownpass to Kinnegad road cleaned up
Despite the windy conditions, a group of 27 volunteers were out last on the morning of Saturday April 6 on a mission to clean up the 10km stretch of road that joins Milltownpass and Kinnegad (R446).
The ‘BIG Litter Pick’, a joint initiative between Milltownpass Tidy Towns, Kinnegad Tidy Towns and Coralstown Kinnegad LGFA resulted in a full truck load of litter being collected in the space of two hours.
Milltownpass Tidy Towns secretary, Ronan Lynskey, said: “It’s a very busy road with plenty of bends and blind spots, so safety was a major consideration, so we started with a safety briefing then split into teams of two and three, including a driver.
“We divided the road up into 2km stretches marked by traffic cones, and each team tackled a different stretch. In the end we were able to get the entire stretch of road on both sides completely litter free. Everyone had fun and it was lovely to witness two communities working together for the greater good.”
Cllr Denis Leonard, who helped to organise the event, said: “The awareness created in both communities today is that one entire truck load of bags filled to the top with litter was collected on one 10km stretch of road. In many cases it had been there for quite a while, as a tree growing through a discarded tyre showed.
“Some items were massive, including an entire car exhaust system. It does raise the question of why anyone thinks there is such a place as away when we discard rubbish – in the main, it needs to be eliminated or recycled in a circular economy, and if neither is possible, it must be discarded in a responsible way.
“It certainly cannot be discarded in these volumes along our picturesque roadsides and hedgerows, where we are trying to promote tourism and live in a clean community.
“This is an important month in Ireland, with An Taisce’s Spring Clean, but all year we have to be vigilant to put anything we no longer need in the correct place. Otherwise, be it the council or volunteers like today, somebody has to clean it up.”
Cllr Leonard expressed his gratitude to both the Milltownpass and Kinnegad Tidy Towns committees and volunteers for “doing such a thorough job on a windy morning”. He thanked the ladies from Coralstown Kinnegad LGFA, “who have been doing many community ventures recently as part of the One Good Club Team initiative”.
He also commended the council outdoor staff for “their efficiency in collecting an entire truck load of rubbish on the morning”.