Mr Alan Kelly, T.D., Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, (23 July 2015) announced the publication of the 2014 National Litter Pollution Monitoring System Report.[pdf 2.84MB] The System Report provides important statistical data about the extent, causes and composition of litter in Ireland.
In announcing the publication of the 2014 Report, Minister Kelly acknowledged the role played by local authorities and communities in tackling Ireland’s litter problem. “Local authorities, working in conjunction with the communities they serve, continue to make progress in the on-going battle against litter pollution across the country. The 2014 Report shows that the number of areas surveyed across the country deemed to be completely unpolluted stands at 12.3%, the highest level achieved since monitoring began. The results also demonstrate that 76.7% of all areas surveyed in 2014 were deemed to be either litter free or only slightly polluted.”
Areas, which in the past suffered greatest from litter pollution, i.e. moderately, significantly and grossly polluted areas, have continued to improve with an overall combined cumulative decrease of 1.7% in these statistics when compared with the 2013 results.
The Minister noted the very encouraging results and said that he was pleased with the progress made to date. However the Minister added that there is no room for complacency in the fight against litter.
The Minister complimented groups active in the fight against litter stating that “local authorities and community groups make remarkable efforts in keeping our country clean.” However he also pointed to the importance of individual responsibility noting that every individual must be aware of their actions and how they impact on the environment we all share. In particular, he said that “while all citizens need to take responsibility for their own behaviour in respect of litter, smokers in particular, in light of the results announced today, need to make every effort to dispose of cigarette butts correctly at all times.”
Report Summary:
In summary the 2014 National Litter Pollution Monitoring System Report reveals that –
• There has been an increase in the number of areas surveyed deemed to be litter free from 12.2% in 2013 to 12.3% in 2014, the highest level ever achieved;
• 64.4% of all areas surveyed were slightly polluted, an increase of 1.6% on 2013 levels;
• The percentage of areas deemed to be moderately polluted fell by 1.1% to 19.9% when compared to 2013 results for the same category;
• The percentages of significantly polluted and grossly polluted areas both decreased with changes in each case of 0.3%;
Litter Composition • Cigarette related litter (54.6%), food related litter (16.3%), packaging litter (12.4%), sweet related litter (7.4%) and paper items (5.2%) were identified as the main constituents of litter nationally.
Causative Factors • Passing pedestrians (41.0%), passing motorists (18.7%), retail outlets (10.3%), places of leisure and entertainment (6.1%), gathering points (5.5%), schools/school children (4.8%) and fast food outlets (4.7%) were identified as the main causative factors of litter nationally.
The Minister urges citizens to take responsibility for their own behaviour when disposing of litter items especially smokers in light of the results demonstrated in the 2014 report. Ultimately, it Is a matter for each individual to take responsibility for their own litter and to make every effort to dispose of it correctly at all times so all of society can share the benefits of having a pollution free environment.
