by Declan Varley
Galway city needs to look at its litter management plan if it is to reverse the trend that has this week seen it lose its Clean City status in the latest IBAL anti-litter league.
The call for the review came from FF councillor John Connolly in response to the disappointing news that Galway has fallen to 24th spot in the ranking of 40 towns and cities nationwide.
Galway’s fall is continuing a trend shared by other urban areas around the country, but Cllr Connolly promised that there will be extra funding for litter collection and litter management in 2022.
The final survey of 2021 by business group Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL ) shows Galway City falling to ‘moderately littered’ in 24th spot in the ranking of 40 towns and cities.
Ballybane, meanwhile, continues to struggle, and is deemed ‘Littered’ in 34th position.
The study also found PPE litter was found to be at its highest level nationwide since the pandemic began.
Naas finished ahead of Portlaoise and Ennis to record its first win in the annual rankings. There was a slight fall in the number of clean towns nationwide, to 22. Waterford was the only city deemed ‘clean’.
The An Taisce report for Galway City stated that several heavily littered sites saw Galway City lose its clean status this time round.
Top-ranking sites mentioned in the report include Bohermore Community Centre, the residential area of Carraig Bán, Recycle Facility (Dyke Road ), many of the approach routes and St. Mary’s Dominican Priory, Claddagh – Judges said “these were not just good with regard to litter, but were well presented and maintained.”
“The Newcastle Approach Rd, Tower House Centre (unusual for a shopping centre ), Market St Car Park and the front of Holy Trinity N. S. were heavily littered.
“Several sites just missed getting the top litter grade, with a little extra effort this could be attained e.g. Cooke’s Terrace, Galway Hibernians Football Club, residential area at Glenanail Drive and Eyre Square – the latter was adorned with a ‘Christmas Market’ and looked very well,” the authors of the report stated.
The An Taisce report for Ballybane stated that a slight improvement has failed to lift Ballybane out of ‘littered’ status.
Two litter blackspots previously highlighted Ballybane Industrial Estate and Ballybane Village, showed no improvement, and long-term neglect was evident at both.
There was some improvement at Clearview Park/Castlepark.
“The Recycle Bank at Joyce’s Supermarket was a freshly presented and maintained facility, very much deserving of the top litter grade. Top-ranking sites included Ballybane Road, Monivea Road and the residential area of Rahylin Glebe,” it said.
The report showed PPE litter at record levels, with an increase in the presence of both masks and gloves. “It would appear that this litter is accumulating as the pandemic continues, as there remains an understandable reticence to pick up other people’s PPE,” says IBAL’s Conor Horgan.
“The disposable blue face mask has become a ubiquitous part of the landscape up and down the country. People have not moved to reusable masks and people are not taking care of their masks.” International research has found PPE litter accounting for as much as 5% of all litter, and likely to have “a devastating, lasting effect on the environment”. Mask use is forecast to remain high into 2022.
There was a significant rise in other pandemic-related litter, such as coffee cups, while alcohol-related litter remained at previous levels despite hospitality reopening and the survey being conducted in winter.
IBAL has frequently criticised the failure of local authorities to clean up sites identified in its surveys as heavily littered, and this was again the case. Of 89 such sites highlighted in summer last year, only 33% had been addressed by the time of this most recent survey.
