Shocking amount of litter composition in Kilkenny is now related to vaping and smoking

Vape packaging stickers all over one of the public bins on High Street

placeholder image — Vape packaging stickers all over one of the public bins on High Street

Vaping and smoking-related litter accounts for 91% of total litter composition in Kilkenny.

That’s according to research conducted by the local authority that will inform the upcoming litter management plan being devised for the county for the next three years.

Environmental Awareness Officer for Kilkenny County Council Mags Whelan recently presented key findings to the elected members of Piltown Municipal District.

In her presentation, she highlighted how cigarette and vaping related litter jumped from 64.2% of total litter composition in 2021 to 91% of total litter composition in 2022.

“The worst offender is vapes,” she said.

“Every bin you come across is covered in stickers that come from vape packaging, it’s almost like graffiti at this stage.”

Whelan further informed elected members that she will be working with the coordinator for Healthy Kilkenny in a bid to combat the issue.

Cllr Fidelis Doherty suggested that a creative solution to vape sticker litter could be devised as a way to combat the issue.

“In relation to stickers, can you invite people to stick them onto something? Inviting people to create something with it, instead of discarding it.”

Cllr Pat Dunphy called for more cigarette bins to be provided in public places because although ‘not a huge amount of people smoke compared to the past, many people will not bring butts home with them’.

The issue of CCTV was also raised during the presentation by a number of elected members who called for its roll-out to combat illegal dumping.

Director of Services at Kilkenny County Council Sean McKeown then explained the legislative process and timeline for the resumption of CCTV operations.

“Codes of practice have been signed off that relate to the use of CCTV under the Litter Pollution and Waste Management Act,” he said. “But we need to wait on the commencement of the legislation.”

Mr McKeown said that the Circular Economy and Miscellaneous Provisions Act ‘provides the legislative basis for these codes of practice’ and that the local authority expects that piece of legislation to be enacted ‘early this year’.

In the meantime, the local authority is conducting Data Protection Impact Assessments for the use of CCTV and drones.