Dublin North declared Most Littered Town in Ireland, Survey
In a surprising turn of events, Maynooth has been crowned the cleanest town in Ireland, while Dublin’s north inner city takes the unfortunate title of the Most Littered Town, according to the latest Irish Businesses Against Litter (IBAL) survey for 2023.
(Also read Dublin City Crowned 2024 European Capital of Smart Tourism)
latest Survey names Dublin North as Most Littered Town
In the 20-year history of the poll, no location in Ireland was classified as “seriously littered,” indicating a good change in the cleanliness of the country. However, the spotlight is on Dublin’s north inner city, which landed at the bottom of the cleanliness table. Dublin’s downtown and Tallaght were also classified as “littered,” with Dublin Airport Environs and Ballymun falling into the “moderately littered” category.
The shining star in this survey is Maynooth, a university town in Kildare, which achieved the top spot in the “cleaner than European norms” category. The report’s conclusions conveyed gratitude to Maynooth for reaching a degree of cleanliness throughout 2023 that we have not seen in our two decades of surveying. Maynooth University’s campus was described as ‘spotless,’ and the Main Street received accolades for maintaining cleanliness in a bustling shopping environment.
Conor Horgan from IBAL expressed disappointment for Dublin city centre, emphasising the importance of clean streets as a starting point for the city’s recovery. He noted that while challenges exist, there is hope for improvement.
The survey also revealed a concerning rise in coffee cup litter, found at over 30% of the 500+ surveyed sites. Regarding probable delays in the tax’s implementation, Conor Horgan stated, “We are concerned about potential delays in introducing a coffee cup levy.” These figures indicate that too many take-out cups wind up on our streets, regardless of how recyclable or compostable they are.
The overall trend is positive, with the baseline for cleanliness gradually improving. Conor Horgan emphasised that the shift from ‘litter blackspots’ or ‘seriously littered’ areas to ‘littered’ indicates progress. He “Cleanliness begets cleanliness,” she continued, “and there’s hope that the improvement will continue in the coming years.”
Maynooth’s success serves as a beacon for other towns and cities, showcasing that achieving and maintaining high levels of cleanliness is indeed possible. As Ireland aims to promote a circular economy, addressing the issue of litter, especially concerning items like coffee cups, becomes crucial in creating a cleaner and more sustainable environment for all.
