The study looked at 40 towns and cities across the country and ranked their cleanliness against European standards.
For the first time since the survey began 20 years ago, no area was deemed to have “severe litter”, with Maynooth taking the top spot. IBAL says the impending deposit refund scheme will further improve cleanliness levels, but calls for action to be taken regarding coffee cups.
Enniscorthy’s An Taisce report states: Enniscorthy performed very well with her six top ranking sites and his three sites just shy of the top rankings. There were no areas where large amounts of trash were scattered. Apparently, closed/vacant lots/Tourette’s sites (e.g. along Blackwater Approach Road, Slaney Street, Main Street) were not directly associated with trash and are being closely monitored. A welcome feature of Enniscorthy was the public fountain opposite the Fair Green. Top locations included Slaney Street, Enniscorthy Station and the River Walk. The River Walk is a stunning waterfront property that has been lovingly cared for and respected by its users.
Although the amount of litter has increased slightly nationally, by 2023 more than 60% of towns surveyed will be judged to be clean, with Maynooth ahead of Mallow and Sligo, which has improved significantly, to be the cleanest town. earned the title.
Waterford has once again surpassed Galway as the cleanest city. These are the only cities judged to be ‘clean’, with Cork city center improving to ‘moderately littered’, while Dublin, along with Limerick, has improved to ‘moderately littered’. ”.
“But there is some good news for our city,” said Connor Hogan, Hogan Director of PR & Marketing.
“For years, our worst-performing areas were considered either ‘high litter areas’ or ‘severely littered areas’. This standard seems to be changing, with “littering” becoming the lowest tier. “Cleanliness begets cleanliness and there is reason to hope that improvements will continue in the future,” he added.
A surprising finding of the IBAL study was the increase in coffee cup waste, which is now approaching peak levels for coronavirus.Coffee Cup found on over 30% of over 500 sites
investigated.
“We are concerned that the implementation of the coffee cup levy could be delayed,” Conor Hogan said.
“We believe this measure is necessary to eradicate products that deviate from the circular economy. Regardless of how recyclable or compostable a takeaway cup is, these statistics , shows that too many takeaway cups are being thrown away on the streets,” he added.
IBAL says the city of Killarney has benefited from banning disposable cups last year, and the initiative has been embraced by the community.
IBAL has welcomed the introduction of a deposit refund scheme next month, which, like the plastic bag tax, has the potential to bring about major changes in the fight against waste. Under this system, consumers pay a deposit of 15 cents for cans and up to 25 cents for plastic bottles, which is refunded upon return.
“This latest research shows that these items are present in just under half of the hundreds of sites we surveyed. “This plan will remove the majority of this trash, and by 2024 will result in a significantly cleaner environment. While there may be some inconvenience for the consumer, the award is very real and very immediate,” said Conor Hogan. .
The prevalence of disposable e-cigarettes, previously highlighted as a new source of waste, has also increased significantly. These were found in over 10% of all sites targeted.
,Local councilor and Enniscorthy Borough Mayor John O’Rourke thanked community groups for their continued efforts to keep Enniscorthy beautiful.
“I want to extend my congratulations,” he said.
Enniscorthy ranked 8th cleanest town in Ireland
I ask people to remain vigilant regarding fly-spotting and littering in rural areas and blackspots around Enniscorthy, Fern and Bunclody. We would also like to ask the University of Wexford’s Environment Office to let us know so they can continue to support us in improving our ranking in the IBAL survey. County Council and Enniscorthy Office of Illegal Dumping. ” he said.