Dramatic drop for Limerick city in final rankings of 2022 IBAL Anti-Litter League
THERE have been two contrasting outcomes for Limerick city in the final survey from the Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) Anti-Litter League.
The IBAL Anti-Litter League ranks 40 towns and cities across Ireland on their cleanliness.
Limerick city has seen a dramatic fall to 37th place out of 40 (previously 29th) in the latest IBAL Anti-Litter League survey while Galvone continues to improve, rising to 33rd place.
There are too many heavily littered areas in Limerick city according to the IBAL such as Mount Kenneth Place, the Bring Facility at Dock Road and various basements along Mallow Street, Lower Mallow Street and Cecil Street.
Galvone has previously been named a litter blackspot but has since improved to be called moderately littered.
The report stated that “a notable improvement was evident at Colbert Train Station – this time around it was very much deserving of the top litter grade and the opportunity to separate waste is a great addition.”
Colbert Station was previously considered a litter blackspot.
“It is heartening to see Galvone continue to improve. There are just two sites which have been persistently poorly performing over a long number of years – Galvone Industrial Estate and the Bring Facility at Roxboro Shopping Centre,” the report mentioned.
Three-quarters of the cities and towns listed in the ranking were clean, compared to just over half this time last year.
Plastic bottles and cans continue to be a major source of litter, second only to sweet wrappers and present in one in three of the 500-plus sites surveyed.
IBAL believes the findings bolster the case for a deposit return scheme, due to be introduced this year, which will see consumers pay a deposit which they can reclaim on returning their containers to a retailer or other collection point.
“Based on this data the scheme is sorely needed and stands to rid our streets of a significant amount of litter. The same applies to the proposed coffee cup levy,” commented a spokesperson.
While there was a fall in the prevalence of coffee cups, they were still found in 25% of sites surveyed.
Naas, County Kildare has ranked as the cleanest town or city in Ireland once again in the rankings retaining its crown atop the IBAL Anti-litter League.