Agenda item

Receive report on the operation of Litter Pollution Act 1997 in regard to measures taken during 2020 in relation to the prevention and control of litter.

Minutes:

Report from Sinead Ni Thiarnain, Environmental Awareness Officer, dated 22nd February 2021 in relation to the measures taken during 2020 in the prevention and control of litter, as circulated to each Member, appears as Appendix 2 to the Minutes of this Meeting in the Minute Book.

 

Councillor Sean McGowan expressed his disappointment with the amount of litter that is evident on Regional and County roads every year.  Cllr McGowan paid tribute to the work of the Environment Department in their attempts to address this problem.

 

Councillor Brendan Barry noted that take-away packaging seems to be a particular litter problem and queried the possibility of having the customer’s name printed on such packaging before it leaves the take-way, which would facilitate the identification of litter culprits.  Councillor Barry thanked Tidy Town Committees and Community groups for all their efforts in this area and he appealed to members of the public to bring home their litter and dispose of it properly. 

 

Councillor Finola Armstrong McGuire sought clarification as to the capacity of the 2 solar powered bins in Carrick-on-Shannon to take more rubbish and if a financial benefit has derived from them.

 

Councillor Paddy Farrell said that there appears to be a considerable delay in the Council responding to reported incidents of rubbish dumping.  Councillor Paddy Farrell asked if there was any way this process could be accelerated.

 

Councillor Justin Warnock proposed that every household, private or rented,  should have a bin.  Councillor Warnock proposed that more Community Wardens should be employed as they have a lot of other work to do apart from the control of litter.

 

Councillor Felim Gurn said towns are also affected by litter and every household should be registered with a waste contractor and legislation around GDPR needs to be changed to accommodate verification of this information.

 

Councillor Sean McDermott supported the comments.

 

Councillor Padraig Fallon acknowledged that many litter items are from takeaways and the vehicle registration number of the person picking up the order should be noted on the packaging.  Cllr Fallon said this initiative should be piloted with the multi-national take-away companies.

 

Councillor Enda McGloin agreed with Councillor Justin Warnock and acknowledged the issues around GDPR.  Councillor Enda McGloin noted that many people who order takeaway foods, do not have a car and this would not resolve the problem.

 

Councillor Enda McGloin said consideration should be given to the design of waste bins which would avoid bins being used for household waste. He stated that a meeting should be held on waste and litter this over the coming months and review waste byelaws.

 

Councillor Mary Bohan said that it is not just takeaways that are causing the litter and she referred to ashes and electrical appliances being dumped in secluded areas. 

 

Councillor Mary Bohan proposed that CCTV cameras be provided at Bring Banks and she appealed to people to dispose of their waste in a responsible manner and refrain from the practise of dumping.

 

Mr Vincent Dwyer advised that this issue will be included for consideration at the next meeting of the Environment, Climate Action and Agriculture SPC and an update will be brought back to will be provided to a plenary council meeting thereafter.

 

Mr Vincent advised that employing additional Community Wardens will not put an end to the practise as they cannot be everywhere to stop littering.  This is a cultural issue, and it has been occurring for years.

 

Mr Dwyer acknowledged since the start of the COVID pandemic, more people have identified littering as a problem and people are requesting bags to pick up litter and clean up litter spots.

 

Mr Dwyer advised that once COVID restrictions are lifted Leitrim County Council will continue to carry out door to door calls to ascertain how households are disposing of their waste.  Mr Dwyer advised that there has been a number of successful prosecutions for illegal waste disposal, and he appealed for co-operation from the public to combat this issue.

 

Mr Terry McGovern informed the members that solar powered bins are 170 litre bins which cost over €4,000 each and they have proved to be very successful as they require emptying less frequently than normal bins resulting in a reduction in labour costs.