Disappointment as littering and dumping increase in Moville
Moville Tidy Towns says littering and illegal dumping have worsened this year, with a discarded disposable barbecue among the latest rubbish left at Shore Green.
Moville Tidy Towns has expressed disappointment at what it says is a significant increase in littering and illegal dumping this year, following another incident in which rubbish was left behind after a barbecue on the town's shoreline.
The group took to social media to urge people to respect the area's natural beauty by following the principles of Leave No Trace Ireland and taking their rubbish home with them.
In its post, the committee said: "What is so hard for people to apply the principles of Leave No Trace Ireland? If there are no bins wherever you are along the shore or on the Green, bring your rubbish home with you please! Leave places as you find them rather than expecting others to clean up after you."
The litter left at the Shore Green included a disposable barbecue, prompting the group to warn of the dangers of using and abandoning barbecues during periods of hot, dry weather.
"Not to be a killjoy either but having a BBQ where there is dry grass and trees is not the wisest idea. Moville Fire Brigade do not need a phone call for the Green or the house right next to the white wall."
Chairperson of the Moville Tidy Towns Committee, Marian McDonald, said the town has experienced far more problems with dumping this year than in previous years.
"We've had a lot of trouble this year with dumping," she said.
"Down the shore we have a dog waste bin, and this year was the first year we ever got rubbish put into it."
The Moville woman said volunteers work hard to keep the town clean but are becoming increasingly frustrated by the amount of litter being left behind.
"We have a man out every morning cleaning up, and he's great. He does a fantastic job, and we're out ourselves every Saturday morning as well."
"But it's so disappointing to see people coming to have barbecues and just leaving everything lying there."
Ms McDonald also expressed concern about broken glass being left behind, particularly given the number of families who use the shore path.
"Even if they would take the bottles home with them. But rather than taking them home, sometimes they break them, and a lot of children use that path.”
The latest incident in Moville occurred during a recent period of heightened concern over disposable barbecues. During the Status Orange wildfire warning, retailers across Ireland were asked to suspend the sale of the products, with Tesco removing disposable barbecues from sale in all of its stores nationwide following a Government request.
The move came after a major wildfire in Killarney National Park was believed to have been started by a discarded disposable barbecue, prompting renewed warnings about the dangers of using the products during prolonged spells of hot, dry weather.
Moville Tidy Towns is encouraging everyone to continue enjoying Moville’s shoreline and outdoor spaces while helping to protect them by disposing of waste responsibly.