Over 4,000 volunteers collected the rubbish during National Spring Clean initaitives.
22 tonnes of litter was collected in the midlands last month.
Over 4,000 volunteers from midlands picked up the rubbish as part of the National Spring Clean campaign.
Throughout the month of April, communities from across Ireland were encouraged to tackle the problem of litter in local areas and to see the benefits of a litter-free environment.
Over 50 Laois groups got involved, with almost 70 organisations helping out in Westmeath groups, whole over 60 in Offaly registered for the campaign.
Volunteers in Laois took part in clean-ups at various locations, including Portlaoise, Clough and Killeen.
The almost 900 volunteers removed approximately five tonnes of litter from the O'Moore County.
Approximately 2,000 helpers in Westmeath removed an estimated 10 tonnes of litter from Athlone, Castlepollard and Mullingar and many other locations.
Athlone Tidy Towns along with the local Canal Heritage Group did the clean-up of the Athlone canal as part of National Spring Clean, cleaning up the debris in the stretch from Battery Road Bridge to Galway Road Bridge.
In Offaly an estimated seven tonnes of litter was removed in Tullamore, Kinnitty and Birr by almost 1,300 volunteers.
Tullamore Canoe Club and Tullamore Tidy Towns Association hosted a river-side clean-up and canoe activities, to encourage more volunteers to come out and do their bit.
Volunteers from Boora Community Group also took part in the National Spring Clean campaign on April 22nd, to celebrate Earth Day, and removed a considerable amount of rubbish.
Kilcormac Development Association had a very busy week the last week of April, carrying out several clean-ups.
Hanna Delattre from the group said: “We were blessed with great weather and great attendance from the Kilcormac community and also our new Ukrainian Friends who recently moved to Kilcormac. We gathered a spectacular amount of waste which was collected the next day after cleanup. Looking forward to next year!”
The aim for this year's National Spring Clean was to raised awareness about how the adoption of a circular economy model, will reduce our litter, and climate impact, meaning that as we transition to a more circular economy, we’ll see less waste, less litter, and lower emissions, and thus, cleaner planet.
This year, some 35% of all waste collected was recycled, thanks to recyclable waste bags provided to groups and individuals who registered, while the removal of litter from our natural environment has helped tackle biodiversity loss.
Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan said: “An Taisce’s National Spring Clean continues to showcase the dedication of volunteers all over the country. The commitment of volunteers in continuing to organise local clean-ups each year is a testament to the spirit in Irish communities and I would urge as many people as possible to get involved in the campaign. My Department will continue to support the campaign and An Taisce, whose role in organising this successful campaign each year, deserves to be acknowledged. I look forward to the many events that will be held all over the country in the coming months.”
National Spring Clean, manager, Emlyn Cullen, added: “This was one of our biggest years ever with regards people taking part. We can’t thank the volunteers enough for giving up their time and energy to make Ireland a cleaner, greener country this April. Huge credit also goes to the Local Authorities who work hard during the month to collect the full bags after events. Also I’d like to thank our funders, the Dept. of Environment, Climate and Communications and sponsors, Mars Wrigley Ireland.”
The National Spring Clean Campaign is asking people to:
• do a quick #2MinuteStreetClean when out for a walk
• avoid single-use plastic when possible, by choosing more sustainable alternatives, such as reusable bottles and coffee cups, cotton bags, metal straws, etc…
• avoid littering and if a bin is overflowing, keep your waste until you find a waste to dispose of it properly
• know where and how to recycle all types of waste
• always bin your butt!
• ensure you bin your chewing gum when you’re done to avoid a €150 gum littering fine and keep our streets clean!
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