Communities across Leitrim come together to celebrate the launch of #SpringClean23

Registrations for the National Spring Clean are well underway and 2023’s campaign is on track to be the biggest yet with almost 50 Leitrim groups registered to date.

National Spring Clean is operated by the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce in partnership with Local Authorities and supported by the Department of Environment, Communications and Climate Environment and Mars Wrigley Ireland.  This year An Taisce celebrates its 75th Anniversary and the largest ever Spring Clean would be a fitting way to mark the occasion. Throughout the month of April communities from across Ireland will take part in the National Spring Clean to tackle the problem of litter in local areas and to see the benefits of a litter-free environment. Over the past 24 years, National Spring Clean participants of all ages have volunteered over 12 million hours of their time, with almost 45,000 tonnes of litter collected to date. 

This year the campaign also wants to raise awareness about the Circular Economy Act and how the adoption of a circular economy model will reduce our litter and climate impact.  The principles of a circular economy have been central to the ethos of National Spring Clean for the past 24 years. Last year some 35% of all waste collected was recycled, thanks to recyclable waste bags provided to participating groups and individuals, while the removal of litter from our natural environment helped to tackle biodiversity loss. National Spring Clean hopes that these litter collection initiatives will prompt people to consider their waste output and moderate consumption behaviours that produce excess waste and look at alternatives that will move us away from a throwaway culture to a more sustainable circular culture. 

To make sure that each community clean up can run as smoothly as possible the National Spring Clean has also provides downloadable information packs on their website for their volunteers to read. The clean-up information pack containing details on how to organise an event, health and safety information, litter facts, useful contacts, media and publicity advice, a guide on how to recycle and information on litter and the law.  

An Taisce’s National Spring Clean is inviting people to visit the website www.nationalspringclean.org and register for a free clean-up kit.