Local communities take action on litter

Local communities have responded to illegal dumping by organising cleanups of affected areas in the Nenagh district.

Roadside littering and the discarding of waste in rural areas - despite a more than 20% increase in visits to recycling centres last year - has been a much-noted feature of the pandemic in Tipperary. Last week communities organised cleanups in a number of local areas, including the Dolla to Thurles road, Ballinamona crossroads, and the R499 between Toomevara and Dolla, where a particular problem with dumping has been reported.

Local resident Liz Powell set up a WhatsApp group of around 30 volunteers who have been picking rubbish from the roads around Ballinamona over the last three weeks. She said about 70 bags have been collected in that time.

“It’s not until you start collecting that you realise how bad it is,” Ms Powell said of the situation.

Much of the waste consists of fast food packaging or bottles that could easily be recycled. Ms Powell believed much of the problem stems from lack of education. Local people have responded well, and she made the point that if everyone brought a bag to collect rubbish within a kilometre of their own home, it would make a big difference.

She added that Tipperary Co Council’s litter warden has been very supportive of the local community.

Another local area that has been plagued with dumping recently is Redwood Bog, Lorrha. A community cleanup was organised here too; again those involved were mindful of Covid-19 precautions.

Lorrha correspondent Rose Mannion said the cleanup focused on a scenic walk through the bog that has been destroyed in recent times by people dumping their rubbish.

“This has been an ongoing problem but has worsened in the last few months,” she said.

“An attractive and very popular walking track, what is so disappointing is that so much of the rubbish is recyclable and there is absolutely no need whatsoever for this kind of behaviour from anyone.”

The rubbish ranged from tyres to car seats, radiators, children's toys, fridges, cookers, hob units, paint, mattresses, furniture, building rubble and a huge amount of glass bottles.

Ms Mannion said this accounted for just some of the material dumped, and she pointed out that most of the items could have been brought to the nearby council recycling centres in Nenagh or Birr and disposed of safely.

“Shame on the people destroying the countryside in such a disgusting manner,” she said, adding that the local community is working with Tipperary County Council on this issue. It is expected that CCTV cameras will be erected in the area soon as a deterrent against further offending.

The widely reported incidents of illegal dumping across Tipperary come in spite of the fact that record numbers of people are visiting the county's recycling centres. More than 125,000 customers visited the council's five civic amenity sites in 2020, a 22% increase in footfall over the previous year.

The council's busy Environment section is encouraging people to report litter blackspots and action will be taken where possible.

Among a series of new initiatives geared towards tackling the problem, the council is calling to private and local authority households to determine whether people have a suitable means of disposing their waste, though this initiative has been curtailed by the Covid-19 restrictions. Fifteen households were surveyed under this scheme in the Nenagh Municipal District last year; 60% were compliant.