Midlands towns maintain clean sweep, as nationwide litter levels unchanged
• Incoming government “needs to maintain momentum on anti-litter measures”
Naas is cleanest town; Mullingar ranked 14th and 'Clean to European Norms'
A fall in plastic bottles and cans on our streets, brought about by the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), was not enough to reduce overall litter levels in Ireland last year. That is the finding of business group Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL), whose latest survey of 40 towns and cities shows Tullamore as ‘cleaner than European norms’ inside the top 10, and Mullingar, Portlaoise and Athlone retaining their ‘clean’ status of 2023.
The An Taisce report for Mullingar stated: A very solid performance by Mullingar as eight out of the 10 sites surveyed get the top litter grade. These included all the approach routes, Mullingar Train Station and Oliver Plunkett Street – the latter was particularly good with regards to litter and the Market Square environment is attractively presented and maintained. By far the most heavily littered site was the recycle facility at the main car park.
The An Taisce report for Athlone stated: Five of the sites surveyed in Athlone got the top litter grade – these included the residential area of Talbot Avenue, Ranelagh Way Shannon Banks Nature Trail and Athlone Poets on Athlone Canal (a wonderful celebration of local poets in a waterside environment). R446 / Dublin Rod was let down by a derelict site beside Real Deal Barber – this was heavily littered and took away from other premises which were well presented and in good order.
The An Taisce report for Tullamore stated: An excellent result for Tullamore with eight out of the ten sites surveyed getting the top litter grade and no heavily littered ones. Top- ranking sites included Columcille Street, the residential area of Harbour Drive and the Bridge Shopping Centre. Considerable improvements were noted compared to previous IBAL surveys at Car Park, Daingean Road – well done to all concerned. Clearly a careful eye is kept on the various vacant / derelict sites along Main Street – there was no litter directly associated with them.
Overall litter levels were on a par with 12 months ago. In all, 60% of the towns and cities surveyed were deemed ‘clean’.
On a positive note, there was a further fall in the number of sites within cities and towns that were deemed ‘litter blackspots’, which suggests that local authorities were generally more effective in tackling urban dumping and in addressing sites that IBAL had previously highlighted.
The survey also revealed a near 50% fall in the prevalence of plastic bottles and cans in the 500+ sites monitored since the Deposit Return Scheme was introduced last year.
“We are definitely seeing cans and bottles disappear from our streets, which is very welcome – not only are they unsightly, but the bottles contribute to the very real problem of plastic pollution. However, it is clear from our survey that people continue to discard a wide range of litter types with flagrant disregard for their surroundings,” says Conor Horgan. Sweet wrappers and fast-food wrappers were the most common litter types, ahead of plastic bags and coffee cups, which were present in over 20% of sites.
“The DRS was one of a number of structural measures broached by the last government as part of its environmental agenda, with knock-on benefits in terms of litter. A ban on disposable vapes and a coffee cup levy were others.
“The need for such measures is evident in the stubbornly low penetration levels of refillable coffee cups and the proliferation of highly damaging vape litter, which cannot be recycled. If we are to see sustainable improvement nationwide, it is important that the incoming regime maintain the momentum on anti-litter legislation.”
Killarney, which outlawed disposable coffee cups in 2023, was one of the most improved towns last year, rising from 14th to 4th in the rankings. “Given the evident success of this initiative in Killarney, it is perplexing why other towns have not yet followed suit,” said Conor Horgan.
The Dr Tom Cavanagh Memorial Trophy will be presented to the cathaoirleach of County Kildare, Cllr Kevin Duffy, at Naas Library and Cultural Centre at noon today.
For An Taisce reports of individual areas see www.ibal.ie/anti-litter-league.
Mullingar report
An Taisce Report – IBAL Anti-Litter League, Survey 2, 2024
Mullingar: Clean to European Norms. Joint 14th out of 40 towns / cities surveyed.
A very solid performance by Mullingar with eight out of the ten sites surveyed getting the top litter grade. These included all the approach routes, Mullingar Train Station and Oliver Plunkett Street – the latter was particularly good with regards to litter with the Market Square environment attractively presented and maintained. By far the most heavily littered site was the Recycle Facility at Main Car Park.
N52 Tullamore Approach Road: Grade A. A very freshly presented route into Mullingar with road surface, markings and signage in very good order, creating a positive first impression of the town. This high standard was maintained for almost all of the remaining sites surveyed.
Recycling at Main Car Park: Grade C. On first impressions, all appeared in good order with the bin units and signage associated with use of same in good condition. However, the area to the side and rear of the units was heavily littered with mineral cans, fast-food wrappers, plastic bags and sweet wrappers. This facility needs attention.
Canal Bank and footpath: Grade B. Litter levels within the water didn’t appear as high as previous IBAL surveys but there was still a definite presence. Items were mostly food related, along with alcohol cans. There were light scatterings along the footpath – these items will most likely end up in the water if not removed.
Mullingar Train Station – Exterior: Grade A. A very freshly presented Victorian era train station environment with all aspects in very good order e.g. signage, planted area, paving, car-park etc. Apart from cigarette butts, it was excellent with regards to litter. There didn’t appear to be any visible facility for the disposal of the butts.
Mullingar Train Station – Interior: Grade A. There was a virtual absence of litter within the station.
Litter bins were solid and clean looking. The vinyl flooring was somewhat scuffed.
Longford Approach Road: Grade A. This route was very much deserving of the top litter grade – it was a credit to the town.
Derelict Site: Market Point by Far View Terrace: Grade A. As per Westmeath Co Co notice, this site has officially been deemed a ‘Derelict Site’. While it presents poorly, with dangling wiring, it wasn’t a littered one. Clearly a careful eye is kept on it.
Fair Green Shopping Centre: Grade A. The attractively paved area with seating / stainless steel bin & bollards looked very well. The overall impression at this shopping centre and car park environment was a very good one with a virtual absence of litter throughout.
Oliver Plunkett Street: Grade A. Large planter boxes with wrap-around seating looked very well – a lovely addition to any shopping street environment. Market House and immediate environs were excellent – a lovely public space. There were minimal litter issues throughout.
Approach to N4 by Hospital: Grade A. There were no litter issues along this heavily trafficked route. Overall presentation was very good.