Call for review of waste collection exemptions as Ireland's most littered towns are revealed
Our city centres are cleaner than ever, but problems of household waste presented for collection in bin bags are contributing to major litter problems in some areas.
Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) called for a review of how certain areas are exempt from new EU regulations on domestic waste collection arrangements, especially in Dublin’s north inner city, as it released the results of its latest litter survey.
They show Dublin, Galway and Cork city centres, Kilkenny and Killarney have registered record levels of cleanliness as the peak visitor season approaches.
However, Ballymun has been declared a “litter blackspot” — the first time in three years that an area has received the lowest grade. It is also one of the worst results since the league was set up 17 years ago.
Dublin’s north inner city was again deemed “seriously littered”, with IBAL suggesting that the widespread use of bags for domestic waste collection was partly to blame.
IBAL’s Conor Horgan said changing to conventional bins could help improve cleanliness in this area. “Bags are an antiquated form of collection which lead to dumping,” he said.
“All too often they are left out for long periods on the street and attract other people’s waste.
“They are prey to the growing problem of gulls or vermin damaging them in the search for food. Bins present an altogether neater and more hygienic solution.”
IBAL called on the local authority to review the many streets which are exempted from recently-introduced EU regulations requiring waste collection by bins, and to work with private waste companies to introduce special bins where space is an issue.
An Taisce assessed the litter levels in 40 towns and cities for IBAL and found 31 (77%) to be clean — in line with recent IBAL surveys.
Kilkenny, described as “pristine”, topped the rankings for the fifth time, ahead of Athlone and Killarney, with the centres of Dublin, Cork, Galway, and Waterford deemed cleaner than in previous surveys. Limerick was the only city centre failing to achieve “clean” status.
Portlaoise, Tralee, and Letterkenny were among 14 towns deemed “cleaner than European norms”. But in Ballymun, the surveyors said it was “especially disappointing that sites which had been top ranking in previous surveys were littered”.
Galvone in Limerick city south was deemed “littered”, along with Mahon and Cork’s northside.
Limerick city’s rating was brought down by dumping in basements of Cecil St, and an area at Upper William St was described as “filthy and one of the worst sites in a city centre environment”.
A car park at Lakelands View in Mahon was “in a shocking state, clearly used as a dumping ground for domestic rubbish… soiled nappies and several dozen black sacks”.
Ballybeg in Waterford suffered from dumping near the GAA club and at a horticultural project initiative.
