Household furniture and large amount of domestic waste removed by PURE
By Aideen O'Flaherty
A RECENT litter pick and clean-up of the South Dublin Upland roads of Piperstown and Cunard in Bohernabreena, which involved PURE and the Salesforce team, resulted in the removal of household furniture, flooring, burnt kitchen appliances and a large amount of domestic waste.
Clean-up initiatives as part of the PURE (Protecting Uplands and Rural Environments) Mile 2019 competition are now well underway, with over 450 miles being looked after by volunteers and community groups in a bid to combat fly-tipping and keep the local area clean.
Salesforce team clean-up the Upland roads
The uptake of involvement in the project, which covers roads, mountains, valleys, woodlands and forestries in the Dublin and Wicklow Uplands, was so substantial that PURE had to stop accepting applications for expressions of interest early in March, as the amount of applications was unprecedented.
Speaking about the recent litter pick-up in Bohernabreena, PURE manager, Ian Davis, said: “The Wicklow/Dublin Uplands is a unique landscape and environment, attracting thousands of visitors annually.
“It is also worth noting that this landscape is of environmental significance, and part of the Wicklow Mountains National Park.
“It’s an area of both Irish and European significance and protected under the European Habitats Directive as a Special Area of Conservation.
“The amount of litter and dumping encountered on the day was both disgusting and disheartening.
“However, the enthusiasm, energy, and commitment, demonstrated by the Salesforce Team was extremely uplifting.”
The PURE project has resulted in the removal of over 3,250 tonnes of illegal dumping from the Wicklow and Dublin Uplands since 2007, while over 11,000 reports of illegal dumping were received by PURE and there have been over 11,000 PURE truck collections over the same time period.
Further information on PURE can be found online at Pure Project, and to report dumpers and dumping lo-call PURE on 1850 365 121.
