A THREE-YEAR ‘litter plan’ by Kilkenny County Council proposes upgrading and expanding the council’s network of recycling centres, continuing the roads sweeping programme and investigating illegal dumping through to supporting the Green School Programme, Tidy Town groups and the installation of new litter bins.
Cathaoirleach of Kilkenny County Council, Cllr Andrew McGuinness, said: “We all have a part to play to ensure we leave no trace and I am pleased with the ambitious actions contained in this Plan. The Council will continue to work with Schools, Community Groups, Tidy Towns Groups, the business sector and the general public to tackle the scourge of litter throughout our beautiful County.”
The plan reveals that cigarette litter, followed by packaging, sweet litter, food related litter, paper and dog foul are the main types of litter to be found throughout Co Kilkenny with pedestrians and passing motorists being the main sources of litter.
The new measures are intended to help combat the increasing trend in the number of litter complaints being received by the council for investigation in the past 12-months. Breaches of the Litter Pollution Act such as leaving or throwing litter in a public place, is subject to an ‘on the spot’ fine of €150 and the council issued over 220 such fines last year.
The Council’s Environmental Awareness Officer, Ms Bernadette Moloney, proactively engaged with a range of stakeholders in developing initiatives for inclusion in the plan, including the Council’s four Municipal Districts and Strategic Policy Committee for Environmental Protection, as well as the Public Participation Network and the Tidy Towns Forum.
The plan was also placed on public display and all submissions received were taken into account before it was finalised and adopted by the council.
New plans to make a clean sweep of our litter problem
