Spectacular litter results for Tallaght
By Mary Dennehy
TALLAGHT has achieved a “spectacular” result in a national litter league survey, after the area moved up the league rankings by 17 places – and is now the fifth cleanest out of 40 towns and cities surveyed.
In the last IBAL (Irish Business Against Litter) survey, which was carried out in September 2017, Tallaght ranked 22 out of 40.
However, in the space of four months, the area has made a marked improvement, moving up the league to number five, and is now branded ‘cleaner than European norms’.
It is important to note that the survey mainly examines retail, public and civic spaces and does not visit all estates, where illegal dumping continues to be a problem for many communities.
Tallaght has had its ups and downs in the litter survey over the years, disappointingly ranking bottom of the league in 2010 – when the area was named a ‘litter blackspot’.
However, the area has made its way up through the rankings, with South Dublin County Council, local businesses, services and members of the public working together to achieve Tallaght’s best ever result and a place in the Top Five.
The 10 areas included in the most recent survey are; the Kiltipper Road, M50 Roundabout from Naas approach, Tallaght Village, recycling facility and car park at The Square, Civic Theatre and its environs, the Tallaght Luas stop, Tallaght Library and its environs, approach from Clondalkin and Sean Walsh park.
Nine of the 10 locations surveyed were awarded a Grade A litter-free status, with Tallaght Library and its environs being granted a Grade B due to food related litter in the shrubbery areas, which took away from an “otherwise very well presented and maintained environment”.
According to IBAL: “With so many sites getting the top litter grade, this is a spectacular result for Tallaght and builds on several fine showings in recent surveys.
“The Civic Theatre and environs was attractively presented and enhanced with ornamental trees; the Tallaght Luas stop was in excellent order and it was striking how clean the general environment was; the residential area of Kiltipper is clearly a much loved area and there was a complete absence of litter at the L2 Car Park at the Square.”
Set up in 1996, IBAL is an alliance of companies that share the 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, An Taisce monitors towns independently and in accordance with international grading standards.
Visit www.ibal.ie for more.
