Litter Management
In Ireland we have a serious litter problem nationally and locally, which needs to be addressed urgently. Protection of the environment is a real concern and perhaps the biggest challenge facing South Tipperary County Council is that of how to motivate the public into action against litter. Litter Pollution is a major threat to the quality of County Tipperary and Ireland’s environment.
South Tipperary County Council acknowledges the primary management and enforcement responses to the litter problem must come from the Council. However, responsible practices and actions by the business community and the general public are also necessary to end the blight of litter pollution in South Tipperary.
It is acknowledged that this challenge is best addressed by a partnership approach involving all key stakeholders in society (general public, schools, businesses etc) in raising awareness of litter and its effects, as well as reviewing and enhancing where necessary the local authorities’ own role in litter prevention and control. To this end and in line with the Litter Pollution Act 1997 we have developed a Litter Management Plan for the County.
This Plan recognises that the problem of litter will not be eradicated unless every sector of society takes responsibility for its share of the solution. We need to recognise as a society that litter is not the sole responsibility of the local authorities, and that cleansing alone is not the most cost-effective or sustainable, long-term solution. There is an undoubted need for a major change in public attitudes, such that littering, whether carried out by individuals or by commercial premises, is viewed as an anti-social and uncivil act. This change of attitude needs to be complemented by a consistent and high-profile enforcement policy by the Local Authority so that fines and prosecutions are utilised to their full extent.
This Litter Management Plan 2006-2008, for the prevention and control of litter, sets out to achieve quantifiable improvements in the prevention of litter in South Tipperary. It is intended that all measures to be undertaken are realistic and measurable. It sets out specific objectives for the following:
- Public awareness, participation and education.
- Prevention
- Enforcement and control of litter
The Plan will lead to continual improvement in the eradication of litter pollution throughout the county. To this end South Tipperary County Council actively monitors litter pollution levels through participation in the National Litter Pollution Monitoring System (NLPMS) which is overseen by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.
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Litter Management Plan
