Council initiative aiming to ‘Put Litter in its Place’
WHILE Cork County Council’s Anti-Litter Challenge relies heavily on volunteers to help keep their communities ‘spick and span’, the authority has also revealed the lengths that it went to in 2018 to combat fly-tipping and littering.
Figures released by the authority this week showed the immense scale of problem facing the Council, which last year responded to 2,422 incidents of dumping and littering across the county – collecting more than 100 tonnes of discarded litter in the process.
The figures were released at the launch last Monday in County Hall of ‘Putting Litter in its Place’, a new anti-dumping awareness initiative being spearheaded by the Council’s Environment Directorate.
The launch was also an opportunity for the authority to highlight the measures it had taken during 2018 to address the problem, issuing a total of 502 litter fines – an increase of 180 on the previous year.
The council also took more than 750 waste-enforcement actions during 2018 and provided more than 11,000 hours of CCTV surveillance footage shot at recognised dumping ‘ black-spots’ in Cork County.
In addition, the authority allocated additional funding of €128,000 to community initiatives to tackle dumping, initiatives including community ‘clean-ups’; the installation of new signage, barriers and fencing; and improving littering ‘ black-spots’ through landscaping projects.
Commenting on the new campaign, Cork County Council Chief Executive Tim Lucey said the figures highlighted the fact that the authority spends “significant resources investigating and cleaning up after those who dispose of waste illegally across our county”.
“These resources can be better directed to community services and amenities if we can change the behaviour of the small minority of people choosing to dump,” said Mr Lucey.
County Mayor, Cllr Christopher O’Sullivan said that it was apt the initiative – which is aimed at changing attitudes about littering and reducing instance of it across the county – was being launched in the same week that the results of the 2019 Anti-Litter Challenge were being announced.
“The figures show the council is focussed on cleaning up the county, and this campaign, along with the Anti-Litter Challenge, highlights the importance of collaboration between the council and local community groups. Citizen engagement is fundamental to the success of any anti-litter campaign,” said Mayor O’Sullivan.
He urged the public to continue playing their part in helping to tackle the problem by reporting instances of littering or illegal dumping to the council’s anti-litter unit at 021 4285417 – which operates from 9am to 5pm on weekdays – or the National Environmental Complaints line on 1850 365 121.