ronan fagan
Deemed 'clean to European norms', Athlone has attained 22nd place in the most recent Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL ) survey of 2023, the results of which were released this week.
This result is a replication of that achieved in January when IBAL noted that Athlone was then also 'clean to European norms', the town realising a 16th placed position in the ranking of 40 towns and cities.
Athlone achieved a merited fourth place berth in the corresponding IBAL survey conducted during the summer of 2022, but on this occasion the town recorded fewer grade A sites than during that particular litter review.
The IBAL survey presents a snapshot of cleanliness levels across Ireland as the peak summer tourist season commences.
The An Taisce report for Athlone stated:
'A strong performance by Athlone, with no seriously littered sites. It is great to see the big improvements at Athlone Recycle Centre – a poor site in some previous IBAL surveys. There were several sites, notably the Main Street, which just missed the top litter grade and with a little extra effort this could be achieved. Others included Athlone Castle Environs and the N55 Glasson Approach Road.'
Newly elected Athlone-Moate Municipal District Mayor, Cllr Louise Heavin, expressed her disappointment that Athlone had further fallen on the IBAL league table but afforded her gratitude to those that continuously contribute to the cleanliness of the town.
"I am pleased to see that Athlone is clean and in line with European norms, although it is unfortunate to see the town's position fall in the report compared to last year.
"There are a number of individuals and organisations that volunteer their time every week to help keep Athlone clean and I hope to assist in my new role to reverse the trend.
"As Mayor, I will do what I can over the coming year to progress our position through the rankings. I would like to thank all the council staff, CE workers and volunteers who dedicate their time to cleaning our town and I look forward to working hard to create a cleaner Athlone over the next 12 months.
"I would also encourage those who have the time to get involved in their local residents association or tidy towns to help out. If there are particular black spots that need greater attention, please get in touch with myself or the council," the Mayor stated.
Athlone Tidy Towns committee chairperson, Mr Gerry Johnson, also afforded his thoughts on the IBAL survey.
"While the report has some very favorable comments on the absence of litter in Athlone, we would prefer that it was more reflective of the hard work that is carried out by all our volunteers, week in and week out.
"The size of Athlone is a challenge in itself in managing the litter effectively and the volume of traffic passing through the town makes it even more difficult. We all have a role to play in keeping Athlone litter free. This report is just a snapshot on a particular day and we would hope that the next survey puts us in a better position," Mr Johnson said.
Tourism A Focus
“Clearly, tourism is a focus of this annual summer survey and unfortunately the major urban gateways to our towns and countryside are falling short of the mark, and creating an underwhelming first impression for visitors.
“As a high-cost destination, tourists to Ireland can expect better. It’s a fact, too, that the great work being done in our towns is negated by litter in our cities," Conor Horgan, IBAL, stated.
PPE Dsappearing, Vapes On Rise
The survey showed that PPE litter has not disappeared entirely, with masks found in seven percent of sites. There was a slight drop in the prevalence of alcohol cans and bottles, but coffee cups were present in 20 percent of sites, which, IBAL maintains, backs up the need for a coffee cup levy. There was also an increase in cigarette butt litter.
Vaping devices were included as a litter type for the first time and were evident in six percent of sites.
“The impact of disposable vapes is twofold. Not only are they single-use plastic, but the lithium battery within them is an especially toxic form of litter. Unfortunately, as is our experience with coffee cups, consumers tend to opt for the convenience of the disposable product. In striving for a circular economy, the case for banning them is a strong one," Mr Horgan concluded.
