Fewer blackspots lift Dublin city in latest IBAL litter survey

A sharp fall in the number of litter blackspots across the country has brought an improvement in Dublin, according to a new litter study.

The latest survey by Irish Business Against Litter shows DubIin City Centre cleaning up, while the capital’s North Inner City registered its best result in years.

Ballymun also improved, while Crumlin, examined for the first time, was deemed clean.

PPE litter is on the decrease, but the prevalence of coffee cups on our streets warrants action such as a levy, says IBAL.

Dublin’s North Inner City recovered from ‘litter blackspot’ status last time to record one of its best results.

“We’ve been calling on local authorities to prioritise the very bad sites in a town or area and it seems this call has been heeded,” said IBAL spokesperson Conor Horgan.

“We see the benefits especially in urban areas, where very heavy littering and dumping was at its worst.

“It’s early days, but there are signs that the disadvantaged areas we have focussed on are finally coming good, albeit from a low base.”

Ballymun 9pictured above), branded a litter blackspot a year ago, was another such area to improve, rising to ‘moderately littered’.

The prevalence of PPE masks fell sharply compared to the previous survey, present in 17% of sites examined, compared to 32% in 2021.

There was also a fall-off in alcohol-related litter, which contributed to an improvement in the state of public parks, 80% of which were clean. Recycle centres were also cleaner. However, coffee cup litter remained high, evident in one quarter of all sites surveyed.

“The findings bear out the need for action on coffee cups,” said Horgan.

“We must disincentivise the use of paper cups – even compostable or recyclable ones – as too many of them are ending up on the ground.

“In the light of our survey, the Government move towards a levy makes a lot of sense.”

The survey suggests that Ireland is seeing a return to normality post-Covid.

“With cleaning schedules back to normal, less PPE litter and less alcohol consumption outdoors, litter levels have fallen.

However, despite improvements, the centres of our main cities are still littered at a time when we are welcoming our peak tourist numbers. For a high-cost destination, higher standards are required,” comments Mr Horgan.