Limerick Council urges public to bin litter

The Environment Section of Limerick City and County Council urges public to bin litter with the launch of its new anti-litter campaign  to raise awareness about the decomposition times for litter and the legal responsibility of the public to bin litter.

Schools, community and Tidy Towns groups, retailers and businesses in Limerick City and in towns and villages across the county are being invited to avail of and display the ‘How Long Does Litter Last’ poster.

Research shows improperly discarded glass bottles can take up to one million years to decompose compared to other common day litter items, such as plastic bags (1000+ years), plastic bottles and disposable nappies (450 years), aluminium cans (200 years), take away wrappers (3 months to 30 years), cigarette butts (1-5 years), dog litter (1-6 months) and food leftovers (1-6 months). Meanwhile, items such as Styrofoam and chewing gum may never decompose if discarded improperly.

 The literature focuses on a number of key topics including segregating waste, managing waste in the home, a home composting mini-guide, and the penalties related to the burning of waste.

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The Council says it hopes the campaign will help to further improve Limerick’s continued progress in the National Tidy Towns Competition and the annual Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) survey, as well as enhance the overall appearance of the city and county and encourage volunteers to participate community clean ups in their areas.

“All of this information aims to encourage good behaviour in relation to managing litter and waste and compliance with existing litter and waste legislation,” said Sinead Mc Donnell, Environment Awareness Officer, Limerick City and County Council.

Ms. McDonnell added, “We are asking the public to show Limerick the TLC it deserves by binning their litter.  The poster outlines what types of litter are more commonly and casually discarded along with the approximate time it takes to decompose. We would invite schools, community and Tidy Towns groups, retailers and businesses to help us promote the message by displaying the new posters.”

The ‘How Long Does Litter Last’ posters are available from Limerick City and County Council’s Customer Services Team on 061-496200 or email [email protected]. Copies will be posted/emailed on receipt of requests.

Leaflets on managing waste also have been produced and are available for download here

Read about Limerick anti-litter campaigns here