Westmeath County Council Cathaoirleach, Cllr. John Dolan, launched National Spring Clean 2019 this week, as the local authority continues to promote an anti-litter ethos.
In unison with the National Spring Clean Ambassador, Sarah McGovern Vaughan, Cllr. Dolan noted the honour associated with launching this year’s campaign.
“It is an honour to be launching the campaign this year and I welcome the new initiative this year ‘Choose to Reuse – Conscious Cup Campaign’ that is being rolled out to support this national event in conjunction with the Tidy Towns groups in the county. These groups are the heroes in every community patrolling road and streets to keep them litter free,” Cllr. Dolan remarked.
Over the past 21 years, the National Spring Clean has focused on the collective responsibility we share in tackling and preventing our national litter problem. Participating in organised clean-ups is an opportunity for groups and individuals of all ages to make a meaningful and positive contribution in their own communities.
This year, the initiative wants to raise awareness about another crucial issue, the link between litter and climate change, the biggest environmental challenge of our time and highlight how combined local actions can have a global effect.
With the participation in 2018 of over 500,000 volunteers and 2,600 tonnes of litter collected, of which 35 percent was recycled, the National Spring Clean aims to build on the progress and momentum from prior years to make 2019 the most successful anti–litter campaign yet.
About National Spring Clean
The National Spring Clean encourages individuals and groups such as schools, local authorities, voluntary groups, businesses and community groups to get involved in local clean-up events. By participating in organised clean-ups, people of all ages come together to make a positive contribution to the communities in which they live and work.
All clean up groups registering with the National Spring Clean campaign receive a FREE clean-up kit comprising information, posters, colour coded refuse sacks for segregation of waste materials, protective gloves and tabards to keep participants clean! Groups registered with National Spring Clean are covered under a public liability insurance policy while engaged in clean-up activities for the duration of the campaign.
An Taisce encourages everyone taking part in ‘#springclean19’ activities to tell everyone about it. Post photos using the #SpringClean19 hashtag to your favourite social media platforms. You can tag the campaign on Twitter or Instagram using either the twitter handle @NationalSpringC, and on Instagram using the Campaign’s Instagram handle @nationalspringclean.
About Conscious Cup Campaign
The Conscious Cup Campaign aims to reduce and eventually eliminate single use cups in Ireland. The local promotion in Westmeath invites Tidy Town Groups to get involved and liaise with their local café/retailers of takeaway coffee to get involved. The Council supply of reusable cups to Tidy Towns who in turn work with their café/retailer to stock same. The retailer offers a discount/incentive to customers who use their reusable cups when purchasing coffee/tea and they are geo-mapped on the Conscious Cup website. The Tidy Towns retain the funds from the sale of the reusable cups to fund their on-going work in litter prevention.
