02/04/2009 -

2009 National Spring Clean

Each year during April, Ireland largest anti-litter awareness campaign, National Spring Clean, gets underway.  National Spring Clean aims to support the voluntary efforts of local people in combating litter pollution. 

Throughout the month, Sligo County Council encourages clean-up activities by supplying bags and gloves to groups that register with An Taisce to organise a clean-up event.  Sligo County Council will also collect bags of litter that have been gathered as part of a community clean-up event.  In recent years, Sligo County Council have distributed hand-held litter pickers to community groups and appeal to groups to source these litter pickers from previous years events.

This April, only bags that have been distributed as part of the National Spring Clean  Campaign ’09 will be collected by the local authority. These bags are supplied by An Taisce and the local authorities.  Black refuse bags will not be collected. Bags must be stored in a secure, safe location and the Environment Section of Sligo County Council should be notified as soon as possible after the clean-up event to arrange for collection of bags.
Remember to let Sligo County Council know of your intended efforts before your group commences the clean-up so it can arrange collection of bags at (087) 261-5507.

The Council are implementing a range of anti-litter awareness measures to combat the problem of litter in support of the National Spring Clean campaign ’09 during the month of April. 

• Special emphasis will be given to litter-picking on approach roads to towns and villages and to cleaning littered public sites.
• An anti-litter awareness cinema advertisement which was produced by the students of St. Marys College, Ballisodare in the Gaeity Cinema, Sligo is on show at the Gaity Cinema, Sligo.
• CCTV monitoring at  bring bank sites and the use of a mobile CCTV unit to detect illegal dumping in remote areas.
• Providing street sweeping brushes to Tidy Towns groups (if required).
• The provision of anti-litter awareness signage to community centres (on request).
• The provision of dog fouling signage where appropriate (on request).
• 1,000 free car tidy bags will be available free of charge from Council Offices at:
  • Sligo County Council, County Hall, Riverside
  • Ballymote Area Office, The Court-house, Ballymote
  • Teach Laigne, Tubbercurry, Co. Sligo
  • Enniscrone Area Office, Enniscrone

- Car Bins available from Sligo County Hall and Area Offices

At Temple House Lake local anglers are carrying out a clean-up event at the car-parking area by providing a skip to assist in the clean-up as part of the National Spring Clean programme of events. A spokesperson from the group Mr. Pat Millmoe, said that “A group of local anglers have come together to remediate this scenic area that has become a dumping ground”. 

Sligo County Councils Litter Warden, Aideen Feeney said “Sligo County Council are very happy to support the activities of the group that have come together to clean this site.  This is a flag-ship project supported by Sligo County Council for National Spring Clean ‘09 which is Irelands largest anti-litter campaign.  Aideen has conducted a number of investigations for evidence of persons guilty of illegal dumping at this site and her investigations are on-going. She noted also that much of the illegally dumped material could be recycled e.g. cans, glass, electrical items, plastics.

In Ballymote Sligo County Council have installed a new ‘poop-scoop’ dispenser to alleviate the problem of dog fouling in the community park in Ballymote. The dispenser was put up due to the high level of usage of the park by dog owners walking their dogs and the resulting problem of dog fouling.  Sligo County Council appeals to dog owners to dispose of poop-scoops in the bin provided or if there are no bins around, take the poop-scoop home and dispose of it in your landfill bin.  Dog mess can contain a number of things which can make people ill – best known of which is infection with toxocara canis, which is a roundworm.  If the eggs of this worm are swallowed, this can result in a range of symptoms from aches and pains to bronchial conditions.  In rare cases, eye sight can be damaged. 

If a member of the public wishes to report a litter complaint they should contact the customer services desk, Sligo County Council, Riverside Telephone: 071-9111111 or contact  the Litter Warden directly at 087 679 2915 or e-mail enviro@sligococo.ie. The caller should state their contact telephone number, giving as much details as possible and directions to the site of illegal dumping.  All complaints are treated in confidence. Each complaint is logged and the complaints are investigated on a rota basis within a two-week period. Your assistance is invaluable in helping to tackle the litter problem.  

This April, why not get involved in the National Spring Clean Campaign by contacting An Taisce at 01 400 2219.