Appendix 1
National Litter Pollution Monitoring System
The national monitoring system measures 3 key indicators of the litter problem – the extent, main causes and main constituents of litter pollution nationwide. Measuring changes in these indicators over time enables local authorities to determine the effectiveness of their litter management strategies and ensure the optimum allocation of resources to tackle litter. Thus, the main purpose of the system is to measure trends in the key indicators, allowing progress in tackling litter pollution at local and national levels to be measured.
Extent of Litter Pollution
Under the national monitoring system, the extent and severity of litter pollution is measured by using a Litter Pollution Index (LPI), which is a scale of 1 to 5 as described below:
1. Unpolluted or litter free
2. Slightly polluted
3. Moderately polluted
4. Significantly polluted
5. Grossly polluted

Figure 2.1 Comparison of Litter Pollution Indices (LPI) 2011
– 2012
Figure 2.1 compares 2012 and 2013 litter pollution survey results. From this we can see:
• 12.2% of areas surveyed were litter free, the highest level ever and an increase of 1.8% on
2012 results.
• 62.8% of areas surveyed were slightly littered, a decrease of 0.4% on 2012.
• The percentage of moderately polluted areas has fallen by 1.9% to 21.0%.
• The percentage of significantly polluted areas has increased marginally by 0.1% to 3.3% when compared to 2012 data.
• The percentage of grossly polluted areas increased by 0.3% to 0.6% in 2013.
Prescribed standards for each category of LPI have been circulated to all local authorities to ensure a consistent approach nationwide to measuring the extent of litter pollution in the surveyed areas.
A key feature of the national monitoring system is its focus on monitoring in areas that are polluted or are likely to be polluted i.e. where potential sources of litter are located. To this end, local authorities determine the locations for their surveys using maps produced by

specially designed Litter GIS software, as follows:
 40% in “high risk” locations (e.g. in town or city centres) where the concentration of potential litter sources is greatest

40% in random potential litter generating areas - chosen by the Litter GIS software

20% in locations chosen by local authorities, based on local knowledge of litter pollution.
Accordingly, the national monitoring system is biased towards measuring the nature and extent of litter pollution in those areas most likely to be littered; it will measure trends in these key indicators over time. The System provides a reliable overview from which trends and conclusions can be drawn.
Causative Factors of Litter Pollution
The main causative factors of litter pollution identified in the litter pollution surveys were as follows:

passing pedestrians, (39.6%), constitute the greatest single causative factor of litter

passing motorists (19.7%), increased as a causative factor by 1.1% from
18.6% in 2012.

gathering points, places of leisure/entertainment, bus stops, fly tipping/dumping and bring banks, bus and train stations and major entertainment events have all increased as causative factors of litter pollution.

Retail outlets, fast food outlets, schools/school children and bank/ATM have all decreased as causative factors over the same period.
Litter Composition
Local authorities also carried out litter quantification surveys (or item counts) to determine the composition of litter in their areas. A breakdown of the main constituents of litter pollution is highlighted in Figure 3.1
below:

Figure 3.1 Composition of Litter in 2013 Broken Down into Main Categories
From this data it can be seen that:

Cigarette related litter, continues to constitute the highest percentage (54.1%) of litter nationally, an increase of 1.4% on 2012 figures – this is comprised mainly of cigarette ends which constitute 49.9% of all litter items;

Food related litter, at 16.3%, a decrease of 2.8% on 2012 results, is the second largest category of litter pollution recorded.

Chewing gum is the single largest litter component in the food related litter category, and also the second largest component nationally, comprising 15.3% of all litter recorded in the litter quantification surveys carried out in 2013, this represents a decrease of 2.3% on the 2012 figure

Packaging litter at 12.2%, a decrease of 1.0% on 2012 results, is the third largest component of national litter pollution recorded.
A more detailed analysis of the litter pollution and quantification surveys data is available in the Report. The full 2012 System Results Report will be mad e available on the Department’s website www.environ.ie
and on www.litter.ie

NOTE TO EDITORS
1. Tobin Consulting Engineers were appointed by the Minister for the Environment,
Heritage and Local Government as the Litter Monitoring Body (LMB) in May 1999 to develop a national litter pollution monitoring system and oversee local authority implementation of it. The main purpose of the monitoring system is to generate, by means of surveys, reliable data to enable each local authority to measure accurately over time changes in the extent and composition of litter pollution in its area, and so provide for more effective litter management planning.
2. In essence, the system requires local authorities to:
 identify / map the potential sources of litter in their areas,
 use this data to identify the locations for surveys to determine the composition and extent of litter pollution in their areas,
 carry out further series of surveys annually thereafter, the results of which can be compared to the "benchmark" or previous years’ survey results to measure progress in tackling litter, and complete the appropriate forms for the surveys and forward same to the LMB for analysis / assessment.
3. The LMB, on receipt of the survey data from local authorities:
 reports back to each local authority with its assessment of that authority’s survey data, and
 collates the survey results in a national overview and presents it to the
Department.
4. There are two types of surveys required – o Litter Pollution surveys to determine the extent and severity of litter pollution. o Litter Quantification surveys to identify the composition (i.e. the type and origin) of litter pollution prevailing in a particular area.
5. The litter quantification surveys identify nine broad categories of litter:
 cigarette related litter
 packaging litter (i.e. takeaway, glass, metal, paper, plastic)
 food litter
 paper litter (e.g. bank slips, bus tickets, newspapers, magazines etc.)
 plastic litter (i.e. non packaging litter e.g. plastic cutlery, toys etc.)
 deleterious litter (e.g. dog fouling, nappies, needles, syringes etc.)
 bulky litter (e.g. household appliances, furniture, etc.)
 sweet related litter

 miscellaneous litter (i.e. items not covered by the other categories e.g. twine, clothes, fabrics etc.)
6. The initial series of surveys allow local authorities to establish “benchmark” assessments of the extent and composition of litter pollution in their areas; comparison of future survey results with the benchmark surveys will allow progress to be measured. In this way, analysis of survey data will enable each local authority to assess the effectiveness of its litter management strategies on an ongoing basis and ensure the optimum allocation of resources to tackle litter.
7. The data produced by the national system surveys allow local authorities to gauge
 the extent and severity of litter pollution in each local authority area,
 the types, most likely sources and causes of litter,
 the changes in litter levels from location to location and over time,
 the location of litter black spots, and
 the impact of new anti-litter measures.
8. Thus, the National Litter Pollution Monitoring System is an environmental management tool that enables local authorities to tackle litter more effectively, by providing a framework for consistent and accurate self-assessment by local authorities.