DUMPING REMAINS A PROBLEM IN BRITTAS BAY AND GLENMALURE
RUBBISH AND CAMP SITES BEING LEFT BEHIND AT BRITTAS BAY
CAMPERS are continuing to cause problems up in Brittas Bay by leaving rubbish and full camping sites behind in the sand dunes after they depart.
This week, Brittas Bay Beach Care have been putting much of their focus on collecting rubbish from the roadside, with over four large black bags filled after volunteers worked on just a 50-metre stretch.
A dumped bag of medical waste was also collected, while one volunteer ended up with injuries while clearing up an abandoned camping site.
Sinead Keane of the community action group has been amazed at the amount of litter and waste which even a small stretch of road can contain.
‘The beach got a little bit of a break with the cooler temperatures this week, so we worked to pick up litter dumped on the side of the road. At one stage, a bag of medical waste was found. You would be stunned at some of the things you find dumped and discarded,’ she said.
While most beach-goers take responsibility for their rubbish and either bin it or take it home with them, there still remains a major littering problem at Brittas Bay. Beer bottles, plastic wrappers, nappies, baby wipes, plastic water bottles and crisp packets are just some of the items routinely collected.
Abandoned barbecues and camping sites also remain a major problem, with one volunteer receiving injuries while trying to remove a tent and litter at Buckroney.
‘You know things are becoming serious when volunteers are actually getting hurt,’ said Sinead. ‘They received cuts and abrasions from fibre-glass when they tried to clear away a tent. The owners had left it behind but had stamped all over it, breaking the fibre-glass roads that hold the tent up. We also had a dog innocently walking on the beach getting hurt.
‘Most of these abandoned camping sites are being left in the sand dunes, which are integral to the whole Brittas Bay environment. People come to camp and enjoy their time in nature, and then destroy it,’ she said.
As well as daily ventures out to clean the beach, Brittas Bay Beach Care are also carrying out a number of community beach sweeps which are drawing plenty of support locally.
Sinead has advised anyone who comes across dumped items to contact Brittas Bay Beach Care.
‘It’s a concern now that people are getting hurt. You must put your safety first, wear gloves at all times, and send us a message if you want to report a litter site and we will clear it up. We don’t want to see anyone getting injured,’ she said.