Litter Management Plan Mayo County Council. Litter Management Plan Mayo County Council DRAFT COPY. Page - 1 -

Transcription

1 Litter Management Plan DRAFT COPY Page - 1 -

2 Acknowledgements Grateful appreciation is extended to those who provided images of Mayo (both positive and negative) for the purpose of this document. Thanks to Mr. Frank Dolan, Westport Tidy Towns Committee and also to Mary Forde, acting Environmental Awareness Officer, for photograph of Knock NS, recipients of Green Flag in May, In addition, thanks to students from Davitt College, St. Gerald s Collage and St. Joseph s Secondary School for permission to reprint pictures taken for Anti-Litter Awareness Photograph Exhibition. The remaining pictures were captured by Dr. Karol Donnelly, Mayo Co Council. Page - 2 -

3 Preamble This is the draft version of the Litter Management Plan 2007 to 2009, compiled by the Environment Section of. Under Section 12 of the Litter Pollution Act, 1997 the production, amendment or replacement of a litter management plan by a local authority must involve a consultation process with voluntary and representative bodies as the local authority deems appropriate. To comply with Section 12 (1) (a) notice of this draft document was published in a newspaper circulating through Mayo in addition to an announcement on Mid West Radio over three successive days. In addition, notice was posted on the website at In relation to the contents of this draft plan, any person who makes a submission may make an oral presentation on the submission to discuss specific proposals with. Following receipt of submissions from the public and voluntary bodies may, under Section 12 (4) as the case requires, make and implement the litter management plan, make and implement such amendment to the plan or implement such replacement plan as the local authority deems appropriate in the circumstances. Under subsection (5) - As soon as possible after the making, amendment to or replacement of a litter management plan under this section, the local authority concerned shall publish and distribute the plan, amended plan or replacement plan, or a suitable outline thereof, as widely as possible in its functional area to such extent as will, in its opinion, give adequate publicity to the plan. Page - 3 -

4 At a recent meeting of, the members passed a proposal (324/06) That resolves to designate elimination of illegal dumping as the Council s top priority for Page - 4 -

5 Index Litter Management Plan Introduction County Mayo Litter in Ireland Litter in Mayo Litter and the Law Litter Pollution Act, Current Status Litter Management Plan 2007 to General Objectives of the Litter Management Plan Litter Control, Prevention and Alleviation Measures Public Awareness and Advisory Measures Youth Education Measures Community and Voluntary Group Cooperative Measures Partnership and Consultative Measures /Planning Enforcement Measures Active Control Measures Miscellaneous Measures 27 References 31 Appendices 32 Page - 5 -

6 1.0 Introduction County Mayo Mayo is a county of great natural beauty situated in the West of Ireland and bordered by the Atlantic seaboard in addition to counties Sligo, Roscommon and Galway. Castlebar is the county seat of government where Mayo County Council is headquartered. Other principal towns of Mayo are Ballina and Westport. The population of Mayo is 123,648 and growing (CSO, 2006). The total land area of Mayo is 5585 km 2 which makes it quite a moderately populated county at just greater than 22 inhabitants per square kilometer Litter in Ireland Picturesque Mayo According to the Litter Pollution Act, 1997, "litter" means a substance or object, whether or not intended as waste (other than waste within the meaning of the Waste Management Act, 1996, which is properly consigned for disposal) that, when deposited in a place other than a litter receptacle or other place lawfully designated for the deposit, is or is likely to become unsightly, deleterious, nauseous or unsanitary, whether by itself or with any other such substance or object, and regardless of its size or volume or the extent of the deposit. Page - 6 -

7 Litter has been recognised as a nationwide problem. A recent national survey on litter by the National Litter Monitoring Body (TES, 2006) concluded that passing pedestrians were responsible for 35.6% of all litter polluting our country and over 80% of litter is cigarette and food related in origin. Packaging litter, paper and plastics are some examples of the remaining contributing litter. In addition to passing pedestrians, this pervasive nuisance also originates from motorists, fast food outlets and retail outlets. Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) is an alliance encompassing greater than 30 member companies, employing in excess of 70,000 staff. Members share a belief that continued economic prosperity - notably in the areas of tourism, food and direct foreign investment - is contingent on a clean, litter-free environment. As part of the IBAL Anti-Litter League, all towns of population 6,000 and over are monitored independently by An Taisce in accordance with international grading standards Litter in Mayo Mayo is currently the proud home of Ireland s tidiest town Westport. Having also won the award in 2001 in addition to the Tidiest Large Town in 2003 and 2004 and a gold medal in 2002, Westport has been tremendously successful in national and international competitions which recognise the significance and importance of the theme of litter control, prevention and alleviation. In the first round of surveys conducted by IBAL in Mayo in 2006, a number of areas in both Castlebar and Ballina were described as having serious litter problems. In contrast, however, the majority of locations were described as clean to European norms. This survey demonstrates that even though many areas in Mayo are unpolluted by litter or litter-free, some litter black spots remain and these problem areas should ideally be alleviated as a matter of urgency. Page - 7 -

8 Litter Black Spot Like every Irish county, Mayo has a litter pollution problem that must be addressed. recognises this fact and steps have been taken and continue to be taken to control and alleviate this widespread nuisance. Members of Ballina and Castlebar Town Councils have proposed that individual Town Litter Management Plans will not be compiled but instead, objectives set and measures proposed by the County Litter Management Plan will include these two towns. 2.0 Litter and The Law Litter Pollution Act, 1997 and 2001 The Litter Pollution Act came into force in 1997, repealing The Litter Act, It was amended by the Waste Management (Amendment) Act, 2001 and is now referred to as the Litter Pollution Act, 1997 and The main objectives of the Act are to define littering as an offence, assign responsibility for litter control to producers, retailers and business owners, to facilitate the enforcement of litter offences, to define local authority responsibilities with respect to litter management planning, supervision and to define collection systems for litter. Hence, to call the Litter Pollution Act, 1997 a litter act undermines the many powers and functions given to local authorities in addition to the duties of the general public bestowed by this piece of legislation. Page - 8 -

9 For the purpose of this document the Litter Pollution Act, 1979 and 2001 will be referred to as the Act and is summarised as follows. Sections 1 and 2 contain the short title and interpretation. Sections 3-6 are vital as; they collectively define the creation of litter as an offence, and detail the duties on landowners and householders to prevent litter. Sections 7 8 outline the prevention of creation of litter and the duty of respecting public roads. Section 9 highlights the serving of a notice on persons to remove waste in a specified period. Sections describe the various roles and functions of local authorities within their functional area. In addition, Section 10 details the responsibility of each Local Authority to prepare a Litter Management Plan in respect of its functional area. This Plan should include inter alia identification of litter pollution issues, prevention and control of litter pollution, its policies on enforcement measures, educational campaigns, community involvement and general enforcement of the Act. Section 10 also details the timeframes involved in compiling such a document and issues responsibility on the relevant local authority to review the Plan at least once in each period of 3 years. In addition, the local authority should also prepare a report for consideration by the council or corporation, as the case may be, on the operation of this Act in the functional area of the local authority indicating the measures taken by the local authority in the previous calendar year in relation to the prevention and control of litter. Section 14 describes the immunity of local authorities from liability. Sections describe the responsibilities of owners of commercial activities and their role in the prevention of litter. Sections covers issues such as dog fouling, fly posting and unwanted advertising signs. Penalties incurred upon non-compliance with the Act are detailed in Sections and the final sections deal with Ministerial functions and creation of regulations. Page - 9 -

10 2.0.2 Current Status Under Sections 10, 11 and 12 of the Act, is obliged to produce a Litter Management Plan (LMP) and to review this plan at least once in each period after the plan is first implemented. This document will be cited as Litter Management Plan 2007 to In addition, will prepare a report for consideration on the operation of the Litter Pollution Act, indicating the measures taken in the previous calendar year in relation to the prevention and control of litter. Litter and Our Legacy appreciates that public awareness measures, educational endeavours and cooperation from the general public in addition to enforcement measures are crucial to alleviate, control and attempt to prevent litter pollution insofar as possible. Hence, it is envisaged that the current Litter Management Plan of will be a plan for the future, resulting in a positive outcome in the area of litter pollution control. Page

11 3.0 Litter Management Plan 2007 to General Objectives of the Litter Management Plan Litter Management Plan In developing a Litter Management Plan, the powers enacted upon Mayo County Council by the Litter Pollution Act, 1997 will be identified and clearly stated. It has been recognised that the objectives of such a plan will be successfully achieved by:- focusing on the powers of enforcement and active control a fully co-ordinated and cooperative approach actively involving all members of the general public relaying an anti-litter message to each and every Mayo dweller and visitor. The following measures for the alleviation of litter pollution have been identified and are adopted or in the process of being adopted. It is hoped that by the successful undertaking of each individual measure to its full potential, many improvements will be made in the area of litter management, control and prevention. Public Awareness and Advisory Measures Youth Education Measures Community and Voluntary Group Cooperative Measures Partnership and Consultative Measures / Planning Enforcement Measures Active Control Measures Miscellaneous Measures Page

12 3.1 Litter Prevention, Control and Alleviation Measures Public Awareness and Advisory Measures Measures Undertaken In a recent survey compiled locally and undertaken on a random population by second level institutions in Castlebar, it was concluded that 41% of the interviewees were familiar with the Litter Pollution Act, 1997 and 2001 (Donnelly, 2006). The initial objective of this survey was to report findings in papers in circulation in the Mayo region to coincide with National Spring Clean 2006 and was not a campaign, rather a public awareness exercise in conjunction with Castlebar Tidy Towns Committee. The survey was conducted on a random population of Castlebar residents and visitors, representing both genders and age categories from 15 years to 55+. Public awareness on litter pollution is paramount in order to control the problem. It has been estimated that cigarette-related litter constitutes the highest percentage (49.39%) of litter in Ireland (TES, 2006) and yet it has been suggested that many individuals do not regard cigarette butts as items of litter. This one example clearly demonstrates a poor understanding of the Act and its definitions. has concentrated on public awareness measures for many years. One such example is the Litter and the Law publication which is distributed widely throughout the county (Appendix I). In addition to describing the responsibilities of and of the general public, this document also highlights other legislation such as the Waste Management (Amendment) Act, 2001 and the Environment Act, Page

13 Litter & The Law one publication by As a very important means of communication, the Mayo County Council Homepage contains litter-related material and also application forms for various anti-litter grants and other initiatives, described in Sections and of this document. Local newspapers in circulation in the functional area of Mayo County Council have been used to advertise litter news and events such as the annual An Taisce National Spring Clean in April. Newsletters also, have the desired effect of raising awareness on all environmental matters and local radio and cinema are used as a means of communicating upcoming events and anti-litter initiatives and announcements. Mayo s two landfills at Derrinumera and Rathroeen contain the main recycling receptacles of the county accepting items such as plastics, tin and aluminium cans, batteries, cardboard and papers and other items listed in Appendix II. Throughout Mayo, there are approximately 90 bring centres in operation at present where one can deposit recyclable goods such as glass, aluminium cans and clothing items. Appropriate signs to identify these areas have had the desired effect of increasing recycling and recovery rates and national statistics Page

14 highlight that diversion of waste from landfills has resulted in an increase of recycled material to 33.6% in 2004 (EPA, 2006). Some recycling receptacles at Derrinumera Landfill Site, Newport Currently, the Environmental Awareness Officer and other staff provide information on anti-litter initiatives and funding/grants available for active participation by the community in litter awareness and control projects (Section 3.1.3). It has been recognised that there is a need for an additional Environmental Awareness Officer in. Approval for the employment of this person has been approved. Measures Proposed will continue with its awareness and advisory approach on all environmental matters and specifically, the issue of litter, the Act and all of the duties and obligations of members of the public. It may be necessary to identify a number of sections of the Act where additional advertising may be used. Dog Fouling Section 22 (1) states Where faeces has been deposited by a dog in any place to which this subsection applies, the person in charge of the dog shall immediately remove the faeces and shall ensure that it is properly disposed of in a suitable sanitary manner. The legislation relating to Page

15 dog fouling has been highlighted in the aforementioned Litter and the Law document but no details on availability of poop scoops in Mayo are documented. These are currently available at no cost from lifeguard staff at beaches in Mayo. Business Community distributed a number of letters among the business community in recent years. A draft of one such letter is included in Appendix III. A similar letter detailing the responsibilities and fines incurred by non-compliance circulated throughout the business community of Mayo will be a valuable exercise in the area of public awareness on all current litter legislation. Publicans Since cigarette-related litter represents almost 50% of litter components in Ireland, publicans will be the first group of business owners reminded of their obligations in litter pollution control and prevention and indicating their general responsibilities under Section 3 of the Act and additional functions under Sections 6 as occupiers of public places. Cigarette-related litter Educational Campaigns An additional proposal aimed at public awareness on cigarette-related litter will be undertaken in the near future by. Environment Section Homepage The Environment Section page of the website serves as a growing means of communication on all environment matters and will be updated and supplemented accordingly. Local Press Environment Column Another proposal is that a column on Environmental News will appear in local newspapers on a regular basis, to include such information as availability of anti-litter funding, ongoing environmental projects, National Spring Clean and other important dates in the Mayo Environment calendar. Page

16 3.1.2 Youth Education Measures Measures Undertaken Litter Management Plan currently employs a fulltime Environmental Awareness Officer (EAO). Among her various functions and duties, she is responsible for relaying an anti-litter message to both primary and secondary school students. Of utmost importance on a worldwide level is the Green-Schools (Eco- Schools) initiative. Co-ordinated on an international level by FEE (Foundation for Environmental Education), there are currently over 14,500 schools in 37 countries in Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania and South America taking part in the programme. On a national level, over 2,300 primary, secondary and special schools in Ireland (~ 55% of all Irish schools) are currently taking part in the programme and 885 have been awarded the Green Flag. In Mayo, over 110 schools have registered for their Green Flag Award and at present (2007) 63 schools retain the Green Flag. The importance of litter and waste as one of the central themes of this initiative cannot be over-emphasised and with the regular visits and continuous advice from the Environmental Awareness Officer, in addition to financial support from Mayo County Council, there will be a significant increase in the number of Green Flag recipients in Mayo. Proud recipients of their Green Flag - Knock NS, Co. Mayo Additional youth education measures undertaken to date have been in cooperation with voluntary community groups. One such example was the Anti-litter Photograph Competition held by Castlebar Tidy Towns Committee and partly funded by (70% funded by Anti- Page

17 litter Awareness Fund, 2005). This initiative was undertaken to educate secondary school students on the problem of litter and to actively encourage their commitment to a cleaner and litter-free society. A number of disposable cameras were distributed to the second level institutions of Castlebar and students were asked to capture images of litter black spots as well as beauty spots of Mayo. A number of winning pictures of littered areas are used throughout this document. Other youth cooperation projects included Adopt An Area project, Westport Tidy Towns Community EMAS Project, Swinford Tidy Towns Litter Poster Competition and Mayo Arts Squad Bottle Banks Project. All cleaning items necessary (gloves, refuse sacks, litter pickers etc) were provided by and prizes presented for these projects were funded or subsidised by the local authority. One example of litter images captured by second level students Measures Proposed aims to continue with its dedicated youth education campaign. While young people are often wrongly accused of causing a large percentage of the litter problem, it is still acknowledged that the youth of today are tomorrow s adults and their attitudes towards litter should be of zero tolerance. While 63 schools in Mayo have received Green Flags, it is an objective to increase this number over the coming years Page

18 It is imperative that regular contact between the Environmental Awareness Officer and school students in addition to youth groups (girl guides, youth clubs, Foroige, boy scouts etc) will be maintained to engender a spirit of responsibility and cooperation. Additional competitions are always welcomed and desirable to encourage young peoples involvement in litter awareness programmes. In the past, anti-litter poster competitions have proven to be very successful and popular methods of education of younger members of our community. Anti-litter posters on display in Castlebar Library Community and Voluntary Group Cooperative Measures Measures Undertaken All litter is caused by people. The preceding statement may seem quite obvious but in truth all litter originates from peoples carelessness, neglect, irresponsibility or sheer disrespect for their environment. While enforcement and active control measures are in place to cure the litter problem, there is an urgent need to supplement these legal measures with cooperative and community participation in a bid to prevent the problem in the first place. In the aforementioned survey compiled in April 2006, 91% of all those interviewed believe that Castlebar has a litter problem; yet 100% of interviewees did not belong to a resident s committee and admitted their disinterest in forming one. Page

19 Public participation is paramount in combating a litter crisis. Individuals will be encouraged to take responsibility and are continuously urged to become involved in litter prevention and control. In 2006, 30 towns, small towns and villages from Mayo entered the National Tidy Towns competition and four of the categories, of varying populations of urban centres, were represented. As stated previously, Mayo is currently home to Ireland s tidiest town Westport. With regards to marks allocated for Litter Control, Westport scored 38 marks or 76% of the 50 points awarded. In addition, other marks allocated by the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government in other categories such as Tidiness, General Impression and Roads, Streets and Back Areas reflected the absence of litter on a large scale in Westport town. Such an award can only be achieved by the efforts of a dedicated committee, work and voluntary support of the general public, and support from Mayo County Council and Westport Town Council in the areas of active control of litter, enforcement of legislation and general responsibilities of the local authority in the management and alleviation of litter. It also highlights exactly what can be achieved with unanimous cooperation and participation and pride. Community Support Volunteers and members of Westport Tidy Towns Committee Anti-Litter Awareness Funding In an attempt to encourage further community action and voluntary group participation, has introduced a number of initiatives. The Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government Anti-litter Awareness Funds are made available as grants to community groups, schools, Tidy Towns Committees, residents committees and other organisations. Page

20 Another incentive to encourage community action in areas of litter and waste is the Local Agenda 21 Environmental Partnership Fund. Projects with an aim of public education and awareness initiatives against litter are part funded by (up to 70% of the total project cost). Section described one such project undertaken by Castlebar Tidy Towns Committee. Litter Action League is initiated by on an annual basis. For six months (April to September) participants from categories that include large towns, smaller towns/large villages and smaller villages/communities strive to maintain a litter free status. This league system awards 100 marks at the start of competition with marks deducted for litter presence throughout the duration of the competition. The competition promotes voluntary cleanups and formation of residents committees or other community groups by monetary rewards. Pride of Place? Additional incentives open to members of the public are the Cleaner Community Awards. Now in its 16 th year, this campaign is another aimed at recognising public participation in the bid to control litter and unsightly areas of the county. Five categories are included: Local Area Environment Project Litter Clean-Up Tidy Housing Estates Page

21 Schools Environmental Projects Best Kept Burial Grounds By presenting prizes and/or mementos to successful participants, Mayo County Council is attempting to instil a sense of pride within the community, and also encouraging others to become involved. Measures Proposed will continue to support, both financially and otherwise, community groups and voluntary committees in their bids to prevent, control and alleviate litter. Having recently reviewed the current anti-litter campaigns such as Litter Action League and Cleaner Community Awards, it was concluded that more vigorous promotional campaigns will be necessary to maintain public interest and to attract additional members of all areas within the community. New categories will be added or existing categories will be supplemented to preserve and increase competition entries. One such idea is the Adopt An Area or Adopt A Street initiative that could be aimed at business owners of towns and villages throughout the county. To encourage participation from the business community, public areas could be designated as the responsibility of business owners. Participants to the programme would compete to maintain a litter-free environment and in lieu of monitory gain or rewards, mementos and positive advertising for their business/establishment would be the main incentive. Another similar proposal aimed at business owners is to include businesses and privately owned enterprises in League competitions. Industrial estates have been identified as litter black spots by both IBAL and An Taisce. In addition to the advisory letters distributed by, a league table of litter management at these areas may serve to dissuade employers, employees and the general public from littering at these centres. Positive advertising in local newspapers as well as prizes would be incentives to partake in the Business Litter League. Page

22 Litter Management is an important matter, which is primarily a responsibility of local authorities but also of every member and visitor of the county. Hence, while will continue to support active measures by volunteers, it is imperative that members of the public continue with their important and recognised work in the litter pollution area. Street sweeping by Westport Tidy Towns Committee member Partnership and Consultative Measures/Planning Measures Undertaken The Connaught Waste Management Replacement Plan replaced the 2001 Waste Management Plan and includes six local authorities of Galway city and Co. Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon and Sligo in accordance with Section 22 of the Waste Management Acts Although almost exclusively devoted to waste prevention and minimisation, this Plan demonstrated inter-county partnership and consultation and also includes data on expenditure for litter prevention. Other partnership projects, which are currently undertaken, include that with the Local Government Computer Services Board (LGCSB), the National Litter Monitoring Body (TES Consulting Engineers) and. The main purpose of the monitoring system is to generate reliable data to enable local authorities to measure accurately changes in the extent and composition of litter pollution in its functional area, and hence to provide more effective litter management planning. Following benchmark surveys in 2002/2003, Page

23 litter wardens and other environmental staff have undertaken annual surveys. Data are then collated and identified using litter GIS software and used by TES to generate national data. Measures Proposed It is envisaged that current partnership and cooperative measures will continue into the future. Workshops by the National Litter Monitoring Body take place on an ongoing basis. will participate fully with these events Enforcement Measures Measures Undertaken Under Section 2 (1) of the Litter Pollution Act, 1997 and 2001 a "litter warden" means a person authorised by a local authority to perform, on behalf of the local authority, the functions of the local authority and of a litter warden under this Act; The functions of a litter warden under the Litter Pollution Act are detailed in many sections but generally a warden is the representative of the local authority and has the power to issue litter fines upon contravention of the Act. At present there are three fulltime litter/traffic wardens employed by Mayo County Council who actively prosecute litter offenders. Ballina and Castlebar Town Councils employ additional staff. An additional county litter warden has also a responsibility for enforcement of traffic laws and so, litter law enforcement is not as high a priority as it deserves. It is not always possible to prosecute suspected offenders where there is unsubstantial evidence but staff of endeavour to maintain a positive approach to fining and prosecuting offenders whenever possible. In Mayo there are three Environmental Enforcement Officers employed to identify litter black spots and areas where illegal dumping has occurred. Litter fines can also be issues by these officers but these are generally to littering motorists throughout the county, as opposed to pedestrians or business owners. Members of the general public can also report littering offences to the Mayo Co Council litter line: An advertisement to publicise this number and its use will be placed in local newspapers being circulated within the functional area. Page

24 In addition, a new Public Complaints Procedure (PCP) is currently being developed within the Environment Section of. It is envisaged that a more efficient system for dealing with complaints of an environmental nature is essential to maintain control and protect the environment insofar as our local authority functions will allow. On a recent examination of the enforcement statistics of from 2004 to 2006, it was observed that 2006 saw the highest fines of 2,500 imposed for non-compliance with the Act. The number of prosecutions in 2006 was the highest over the three years, as were the number of convictions under litter legislation. In all three years, on-the-spot fines of 125 were issued only by the local authority and not on any occasion by the Gardai. (It should be noted that 2006 statistics are for the period January to September only). The annual enforcement statistics are shown in figure Number * 50 0 Prosecutions Convictions On-the-spot fines by Mayo Co Council On-the-spot fines PAID On-the-spot fines by Gardai Fig. 1 Summary of Enforcement of Litter Pollution Act by (2004 to (* 2006 refers to January to September only) While an increase in litter-related prosecutions and fines is not indicative of an improvement in the area of litter prevention, it is hoped that the statistics show a positive way forward, which demonstrates that is taking enforcement measures seriously. While society, as a whole, continues Page

25 to pollute, many offenders who have been fined or prosecuted may be deterred from re-offending. It is a policy of to prosecute all litter offences described in the Litter Pollution Act, 1997 and 2001, where sufficient evidence is available. Measures Proposed It is acknowledged that three county litter/traffic wardens and additional Town Council litter/traffic wardens are inadequate for the enforcement of the Litter Pollution Act, 1997 and 2001 on a countywide level. Hence, it is a priority of that additional litter wardens will be employed for the purpose of the enforcement of the Act. Since it is currently impossible to fine or prosecute people of less than 18 years for non-compliance with the Act, an alternative option should be in place to reprimand those who contravene the Act. While a Name & Shame policy may serve to identify offending young persons, it may not have the desired effect of preventing re-offending. At a recent meeting of, it was agreed that many littering offences by young persons occur in the early hours of the morning during weekends and school holidays and the main component of this litter is fast food packaging. It is no doubt necessary and very appropriate then, to employ litter wardens to police the streets at these peak times. Since fines cannot be issued to a juvenile, a verbal warning will be the first step in cautioning a young offender. If the person doesn t appear to be contrite, a warning letter may then be issued to the parent or legal guardian, at the discretion of Mayo Co. Council personnel. With regards to the fast food outlets, two approaches are currently being considered by the Council. One is that a byelaw will be introduced to compel restaurants owners and fast food outlets to close their premises at specified times another approach would be used to compel every such business owner to use labelled packaging to identify the fast food outlet from where the litter originated. A proposal was made by Westport Town Council and voluntary groups to introduce a byelaw, banning chewing gum sales in the west Mayo Page

26 town. While this suggestion was not enacted into legislation, there is an option there for to introduce byelaws in the area of litter pollution control Active Control Measures Measures Undertaken It is an aim of to have a successful and well-organised litter management strategy in every town and area in Mayo but financial constraints have jeopardised this objective. Subsequently, the budget allocation for street-cleaning, bin emptying and road sweeping is being examined with the aim of developing a specific budget exclusively for these purposes. Many public litter bins in Mayo are designed to contain litter in extreme weather conditions and also prevent removal of litter by birds and small animals. In addition, clean-ups of litter black spots are undertaken whenever necessary and will continue with these necessary remedial works Measures Proposed A review of the current cleaning and litter control plans throughout Mayo is necessary. Under Sections 7 and 8 of the Act, is recognised as having prime responsibility for ensuring that public roads in its functional area are free of litter and that all measures should be taken to ensure the prevention of the creation of litter. Measures for collection and maintenance of litter receptacles are in place and should be deemed as crucial elements of the Litter Management Plan of. In terms of the provision of litter receptacles, bin audits are recommended for urban areas throughout Mayo, to ensure functioning and adequate bins for use by members of the public. It is proposed that a code of practise will be followed by County Council with reference to quantity of bins per metre of road or street. The Page

27 aforementioned bin audit will serve to identify areas where additional bins are necessary. A pilot study will be undertaken in an area of a designated town in Mayo where a compartmentalised street bin will be used. These bins are divided into four sections for glass, plastic, paper and general refuse. While all efforts to control and alleviate litter are vital, these bins will also serve to raise awareness on recycling and encourage diversion of waste from landfills. Bins such as those proposed are currently in use throughout many European cities, including Helsinki and Copenhagen. An example of street bin proposed for use in a Mayo town Miscellaneous Measures Measures Undertaken A statement of accounts detailing monies spent on litter mitigation and prevention including revenue received from litter fines in 2006 is included in Appendix IV. All efforts and miscellaneous campaigns, projects, and measures have been categorised and cost estimates have been detailed. The Litter Pollution Act, 1997 and 2001 is currently the piece of legislation governing the protection of our environment from litter. However, the relevance of litter and its control has spread widely to be included in many Page

28 other pieces of legislation and other environmental endeavours. The National Tidy Towns competition incorporates marks awarded to communities for litter (12.5 % of total marks) but marks are also awarded for tidiness (7.5%), waste minimisation (5%), residential areas (10%) and roads, streets and back areas categories (12.5%). To conclude, litter prevention governs almost 50% of marks awarded by the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government in the National competition. The aforementioned Green-Schools initiative also promotes litter prevention and waste management as a high priority parameter in the effort to receive the award of the Green Flag. Other An Taisce programmes which include litter management as a priority are the Blue Flag award which states that On the beach, litter should not be allowed to accumulate, be hazardous or be unsightly. The beach must comply with any national guidelines regarding litter. Also mentioned in Section of this document is the National Spring Clean Campaign, which states as its principal objectives: Heighten awareness of litter and waste issues Encourage clean-ups throughout the whole month of April Increase active participation among Youth, Business and other under-represented groups Promote the notion of personal responsibility for litter Image from outside HQ Page

29 It is therefore very important for Mayo as a county to remain involved in National and European endeavours and to promote community involvement by advertisements and financial contributions. Litter control is essential and its vital message must be continually relayed. Pay & Display parking tickets currently used in a number of towns in Mayo portray a Keep Your Town Tidy message; a simple yet effective method of reminding members of the public to dispose of a used ticket responsibly. Simple Reminders Measures Proposed, as the local authority for the functional area of Mayo has the responsibility to lead by example and to actively encourage the public; dwellers and visitors of Mayo to keep the county litter free. Inspiration should arrive from within the local authority, whose function it is to ensure compliance with the Litter Pollution Act, 1997 insofar as possible. was chosen as a pilot local authority to implement the Action at Work Programme of Race Against Waste. The Waste Action Plan of 2006 has the overall objective of engaging all members of the Council on the waste issue. While litter and waste have been defined as separate entities, education and awareness measures on both could be undertaken concurrently. In addition to the examination of various ways to reduce waste in the workplace, the Plan could be used to heighten awareness among all members of of their individual responsibilities Page

30 to prevent waste insofar as possible, divert waste from landfill and be vigilant in the area of litter pollution prevention. A Litter Prevention Board could be set up within the Council. This team, similar to the Green Team of the Waste Action Plan may be given responsibilities to promote awareness on litter, encourage participation in anti-litter events by all staffing addition to the provision of adequate litter bins and cigarette receptacles where suitable. Mayo County Council employs people of varying ages, qualifications and roles but on the topic of litter, there should be one role to target the litter problem. This three-year Litter Management Plan should be regarded as a plan for the future management of litter in Mayo. It includes a number of measures and details those undertaken at present in addition to those proposed. The plan is a blueprint for the future - to control, alleviate and prevent litter pollution in Mayo by every member and visitor. At a recent meeting of, the members passed a proposal (324/06) That resolves to designate elimination of illegal dumping and litter as the Council s top priority for This ambitious and determined approach of Mayo County councillors should be mirrored by Mayo dwellers and visitors alike and should be envisaged as a very positive way forward. Page

31 References CSO, Census 2006 Preliminary Report. Donnelly, K., Unpublished findings from Castlebar Tidy Towns Committee Litter Survey. Environmental Protection Agency, Environment in Focus 2006 Environmental Indicators for Ireland. TES, The National Litter Pollution Monitoring System. Litter Monitoring Body System Results. Prepared for The Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government. Page

32 Appendix I Litter & The Law Publication by Page

33 Appendix II Bring Centres throughout Co. Mayo Town Materials Location Aughagower Hand ball alley car park Balla Main Street Ballina Ballina Ballina Ballina Glass, Aluminium Cans, Textiles are taken. Glass, Aluminium Cans, Batteries, Engine Oil, Plastic Milk Cartons, Plastic Drink Bottles, News Print, Cardboard Mixed Paper, Metals, Metal Food Tins, Textiles, Juice Milk Cartons, Wood, Builders Rubble, Fluorescent light Tubes, White Goods, Tyres, Paint, Household Corrosives, Pesticides, Vet Medicines, Pharmacy Medicines are taken. Car park off Teeling/Bury street Costcutters supermarket, killala Road Dunnes Stores Car park Rathroeen, Killala Road (Ballina Landfill) Ballina Tesco's car park Ballindine Centra Ballinrobe Ballinrobe Ballinrobe Glass, Aluminium Cans, Textiles are taken. Church Lane car park Mace Garage, Castlebar Rd Mayo County Council car park, Kilmaine Road Ballycastle Town Hall car park Ballycroy Ballyglass Ballyhaunis Bangor Erris Barnacarrol (Knock) In front of church car park Outside football pitch Car park off main street Opposite the church Community centre car park Belmullet Healy's, Barnatra Belmullet Glass, Aluminium Cans, Textiles are taken. The quay, near Page

34 Bofeenaun (Ballina) Litter Management Plan Mangans shop community centre Bonnicolon Tubbercurry Road Breaffy Brickens (Claremorris) Carnacon Carracastle Aluminium Cans are taken. St Johns National School Community Centre Community centre car park Carracastle National School Carratigue An Siopa Carrowmore- Lacken (Ballina) Cashel (Achill) Castlebar Castlebar Castlebar Charlestown Kerry Mans Inn, Banagher Ted Lavelles pub Car park near Dunnes stores Car park off Market Square Mayo County Council car park Old Railway station Clare Island The Pier Claremorris Claremorris Clogher (Claremorris) Glass, Aluminium Cans, Textiles are taken. Luina na Greine, Beside Mayo County Council area office Supervalue car park GAA Grounds Cong Church car park Crimlin (Castlebar) Cross Community Centre Car park of O Malleys pub Crossmolina Near the church Curraun (Achill) Beside the shore road Page

35 Derrinumera Dooagh (Achill) Glass, Aluminium Cans, Batteries, Engine Oil, Plastic Milk Cartons, Plastic Drink Bottles, News Print, Cardboard Mixed Paper, Metals, Metal Food Tins, Textiles, Juice Milk Cartons, Wood, White Goods, Tyres, Paint, Household Corrosives, Pesticides, Vet Medicines are taken. Litter Management Plan Landfill site; Off Newport Road between Newport and Castlebar Beside the Post Office Dugort Camping site Eachlaim Elly Bay (Belmullet) Community Hall car park UISCE adventure centre Foxford Church car park Garrymore (Claremorris) Geesala GAA pitch Community centre car park Glenhest community centre Glenisland Church car park Hollymount Fahys Garage Irishtown Outside of church Islaneady Church car park Keel (Achill) Keenagh (Crossmolina) Outside caravan and camping site Opposite the Church Kilasser Community Centre Kilcon (Killala) Kilcon village, Kilfian Kilkelly Freemans garage Killala Wards food market car park Killawalla Opposite Church Killeen (Louisburgh) Kiltimagh Beside the Bridge Supervalue car park Knock Basilica car park Lahardane (Crossmolina) Community Centre car park Lismirrane O Dywer Cheshire Page

36 (Bohola) Litter Management Plan home Louisburgh Car park Manulla Community Centre Mayo Abbey GAA Pitch Meelick (Swinford) Moygownagh (Ballina) Mulranny Community Centre Mitchells Garage Car park opposite Dohertys shop Parke GAA pitch Partry Polranny (Achill) Rossport Community centre car park Beside the ESB sub-station Secondary school car park Roundfort Community Centre Shrule Community Centre Swinford Swinford Glass, Aluminium Cans, Metal Food Tins are taken. Car park of Mellets shop Corrib Oil Filling Station, Dublin Road, The Neale Mellots pub Toreen (Ballyhaunis) Tourmakeady Westport Westport Westport community centre Community Hall car park Centra car park (near the quay) Leisure centre car park Sacred Heart Secondary School Westport Supervalue carpark Westport Tip Top Service station, Castlebar Road, Page

37 Appendix III Draft of letter sent to business owners, 2005 Litter Management Plan Page

38 Appendix III cont d Page

39 Appendix IV Statement of Accounts Litter Management Plan Litter Expenditure January - October 2006 Expenditure Received payments Anti-litter Awareness Grants 15,000 On-the-spot fines 8,250 Cleaner Community Campaign 9,000 Other fines imposed 250-2,500 Litter Action Leagues 13,450 Active Control Additional Competitions 17,828 Environmental Education 1,278 56,556 8,250 Page

40 Appendix V Process of Litter Management Plan (LMP) Development This Appendix to be completed following public consultation process Submissions received (data to be collated following public consultation process) Adopted recommendations (data to be collated following consultation process) Written Submissions letters or alternative correspondence received in relation to LMP. (data to be collated following consultation process) Page

41 Litter Management Plan Executive Summary Executive Summary According to the Litter Pollution Act, 1997 and 2001, "litter" means a substance or object, whether or not intended as waste (other than waste within the meaning of the Page

42 Waste Management Act, 1996, which is properly consigned for disposal) that, when deposited in a place other than a litter receptacle or other place lawfully designated for the deposit, is or is likely to become unsightly, deleterious, nauseous or unsanitary, whether by itself or with any other such substance or object, and regardless of its size or volume or the extent of the deposit. Under Section 10 of the Litter Pollution Act, 1997 and 2001 each Local Authority has the responsibility of adopting a Litter Management Plan within its functional area. The principal objective of a Litter Management Plan is to alleviate, control and prevent litter pollution insofar as possible and appreciates that public awareness measures, educational endeavours and cooperation from the general public in addition to enforcement measures are crucial to achieve this primary goal. The Litter Management Plan, for the period 2007 to 2009, includes inter alia identification of litter pollution issues, prevention and control of litter pollution, policies on enforcement measures, educational campaigns, community involvement and general enforcement of the Act. The measures to achieve the primary goals are listed as follows. In addition Table 1 summarises the main measures, with initiatives which are currently undertaken and those proposed for the three-year period 2007 to Programme of Measures for litter control, prevention and alleviation in Mayo: 1. Public Awareness and Advisory Measures 2. Youth Education Measures 3. Community and Voluntary Group Cooperative Measures 4. Partnership and Consultative Measures / Planning 5. Enforcement Measures 6. Active Control Measures 7. Miscellaneous Measures Page

43 Table 1 Summary of the litter prevention, control and alleviation measures. Current initiatives are also shown, in addition to those which are proposed to be undertaken during 2007 to 2009 Litter Prevention, Control & Alleviation Measures Current Initiatives Proposed Initiatives 1. Public Awareness & Advisory Measures Environment Leaflet & Newsletters Mayo Co. Council website Local press, cinema and radio advertising Appropriate signs Environmental Awareness Officer (EAO) Increase/supplement present advertising Expand / supplement environment page Increase/supplement present advertising Continue Continue with current advisory measures, approval for additional EAO sought Litter Advisory letters Continue Initiate a cigarette-related litter educational campaign 2. Youth Education Measures Green Flag Initiative Continue and expand Photograph / Poster competitions for students of all ages Continue and expand Other Youth Education projects e.g. 'Adopt An Area' Continue and expand 3. Community And Voluntary Group Cooperative Measures Anti-litter Awareness funding Community Group Awards Continue all support, financial and otherwise Continue, increase promotion and expand competitions 4. Partnership & Consultative Measures / Planning National Litter Monitoring Body Connaught Waste Management Group Continue support and involvement Continue support and involvement Table 1 continued Page

44 Litter Prevention, Control & Alleviation Measures Current Initiatives Proposed Initiatives 5. Enforcement Measures Litter Wardens - enforcement Environmental Enforcement Officers Litter Line Employ additional wardens as a priority Continue with current litter control and prevention strategies To advertise this number within the public domain insofar as possible Initiate Environment Public Complaints Procedure Use alternative strategies for littering by underage offenders Introduce byelaws Prosecute all offenders when sufficient evidence is available 6. Active Control Measures Routine of bin-emptying, street sweeping and cleaning undertaken as efficiently as possible Continue and improve insofar as possible Review and examine current cleaning plans in Mayo Undertake a bin audit to examine need for additional bins Undertake a pilot study with compartmentalised bin in designated Mayo town 7. Miscellaneous Measures Blue Flag Beaches Maintain current status Tidy Towns Committees Maintain local authority responsibility with respect to litter prevention and control Mayo Co Council to 'lead by example' Continue/maintain present support Educate all employees on litter pollution and encourage cooperation on all litter initiatives Continue and progress with staff educational and awareness campaigns Develop a Litter Prevention Board within Mayo County Council Page