Dublin’s north inner city remains the dirtiest area in the State, according to Irish Business Against Litter (Ibal), in advance of the introduction later this year of a ban on bin bag use in the area.
The final survey for 2024, conducted by An Taisce for the anti-litter business group, found litter levels nationally were broadly similar to the same time last year, despite the introduction last February of the deposit return scheme for cans and plastic bottles.
The scheme, which operates by customers paying a returnable deposit on bottles and cans and reclaiming a credit when they place the bottle or can in a reverse-vending machine, has resulted in a reduction in the volume of discarded bottles and cans, Ibal said.
At more than 500 sites monitored by An Taisce, the prevalence of plastic bottles and cans had reduced by almost 50 per cent since the scheme was introduced.
Ireland weather: Status orange warnings issued ahead of extreme cold that could be ‘dangerous to life’
Man (60s) dies after ‘altercation’ on Baggot Street in Dublin city centre
Witness who failed to appear at Diarmuid Phelan murder trial arrested in Dublin
The last thing our teenage son said was: ‘Why are you all so sad? I’m going to be fine’
However, this was not sufficient to reduce overall litter levels across the State, Ibal spokesman Conor Horgan said.
“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.”
The survey of 40 towns and cities ranked Naas in Kildare the State’s cleanest town with Dublin’s north inner city bottom of the pile, and Dublin city centre just one position above it.
A ban on the use of plastic bin bags came into force on 90 streets in Dublin’s south inner city on January 1st. The ban will be extended to streets in the north inner city by the middle of this year.
The north inner city was found to be “seriously littered” in the survey, with ripped open waste bags on several streets. Sherrard Street Upper was a particular blackspot with “bags of domestic rubbish, the contents of which have been ripped open and scattered about” An Taisce reported.
On Crinan Strand, a row of houses on Sheriff Street, there were “large household items eg mattresses/furniture discarded along the pavement, along with at least a dozen black sacks of rubbish – the contents of which were being scavenged by seagulls,” according to the survey.
“These findings strengthen the case for the ban on bin bags in Dublin city,” Mr Horgan said. “We’ve been saying for years that the use of bags for waste collection has been an impediment to progress in the capital on a number of fronts. The ban is a potential game-changer, but its impact will hinge on proper enforcement.”
City areas occupied all but one of the bottom 10 places in the Ibal league table, despite some improvement in Limerick, and Mahon in Cork, which this time two years ago was the dirtiest place in the State.
Statewide, 60 per cent of the towns and cities surveyed were deemed “clean”.
Galway replaced Waterford as the cleanest city on the list. The year 2024 saw a further fall in the number of sites within cities and towns that were deemed “litter blackspots”, which Mr Horgan said, suggests local authorities were generally more effective in tackling urban dumping and in addressing sites Ibal had previously highlighted.
There remained a need for measures to address the “stubbornly low penetration levels of refillable coffee cups and the proliferation of highly damaging vape litter, which cannot be recycled,” Mr Hogan said.
“If we are to see sustainable improvement nationwide, it is important that the incoming regime maintain the momentum on anti-litter legislation.”
- Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Listen to our Inside Politics podcast for the best political chat and analysis
