Litter Management Plan 2007 – 2009
Mayo County Council
Litter Management Plan
2007 – 2009
Mayo County Council
DRAFT COPY
Page
-1-
Litter Management Plan 2007 – 2009
Mayo County Council
Acknowledgements
Grateful appreciation is extended to those who provided images of Mayo (both
positive and negative) for the purpose of this document. Thanks to Mr. Frank
Dolan, Westport Tidy Towns Committee and also to Mary Forde, acting
Environmental Awareness Officer, Mayo County Council for photograph of
Knock NS, recipients of Green Flag in May, 2006.
In addition, thanks to students from Davitt College, St. Gerald’s Collage and
St. Joseph’s Secondary School for permission to reprint pictures taken for
Anti-Litter Awareness Photograph Exhibition. The remaining pictures were
captured by Dr. Karol Donnelly, Mayo Co Council.
Page
-2-
Litter Management Plan 2007 – 2009
Mayo County Council
Preamble
This is the draft version of the Litter Management Plan 2007 to 2009,
compiled by the Environment Section of Mayo County Council. Under Section
12 of the Litter Pollution Act, 1997 the production, amendment or replacement
of a litter management plan by a local authority must involve a consultation
process with voluntary and representative bodies as the local authority deems
appropriate.
To comply with Section 12 (1) (a) notice of this draft document was published
in a newspaper circulating through Mayo in addition to an announcement on
‘Mid West Radio’ over three successive days. In addition, notice was posted on
the Mayo County Council website at www.mayococo.ie
In relation to the contents of this draft plan, any person who makes a
submission may make an oral presentation on the submission to discuss
specific proposals with Mayo County Council. Following receipt of
submissions from the public and voluntary bodies Mayo County Council may,
under Section 12 (4) as the case requires, make and implement the litter
management plan, make and implement such amendment to the plan or
implement such replacement plan as the local authority deems appropriate in
the circumstances.
Under subsection (5) - As soon as possible after the making, amendment to or
replacement of a litter management plan under this section, the local
authority concerned shall publish and distribute the plan, amended plan or
replacement plan, or a suitable outline thereof, as widely as possible in its
functional area to such extent as will, in its opinion, give adequate publicity to
the plan.
Page
-3-
Litter Management Plan 2007 – 2009
Mayo County Council
At a recent meeting of Mayo County Council, the
members passed a proposal (324/06)
‘That Mayo County Council resolves to designate
elimination of illegal dumping as the Council’s top
priority for 2007’.
Page
-4-
Litter Management Plan 2007 – 2009
Mayo County Council
Index
1.0 Introduction
1.0.1 County Mayo
1.0.2 Litter in Ireland
1.0.3 Litter in Mayo
6
6
6
7
2.0 Litter and the Law
2.0.1 Litter Pollution Act, 1997
2.0.2 Current Status 2006
8
8
10
3.0 Litter Management Plan 2007 to 2009
11
3.0.1 General Objectives of the Litter
Management Plan
11
3.1 Litter Control, Prevention and Alleviation
Measures
12
3.1.1 Public Awareness and Advisory
Measures
12
3.1.2 Youth Education Measures
16
3.1.3 Community and Voluntary Group
Cooperative Measures
18
3.1.4 Partnership and Consultative
Measures /Planning
22
3.1.5 Enforcement Measures
23
3.1.6 Active Control Measures
26
3.1.7 Miscellaneous Measures
27
References
Appendices
Page
31
32
-5-
Litter Management Plan 2007 – 2009
Mayo County Council
1.0
Introduction
1.0.1 County Mayo
Mayo is a county of great natural beauty situated in the West of Ireland and
bordered by the Atlantic seaboard in addition to counties Sligo, Roscommon
and Galway. Castlebar is the county seat of government where Mayo County
Council is headquartered. Other principal towns of Mayo are Ballina and
Westport.
The population of Mayo is 123,648 and growing (CSO, 2006). The total land
area of Mayo is 5585 km2 which makes it quite a moderately populated county
at just greater than 22 inhabitants per square kilometer.
Picturesque Mayo
1.0.2 Litter in Ireland
According to the Litter Pollution Act, 1997, ‘"litter" means a substance or
object, whether or not intended as waste (other than waste within the meaning
of the Waste Management Act, 1996, which is properly consigned for disposal)
that, when deposited in a place other than a litter receptacle or other place
lawfully designated for the deposit, is or is likely to become unsightly,
deleterious, nauseous or unsanitary, whether by itself or with any other such
substance or object, and regardless of its size or volume or the extent of the
deposit’.
Page
-6-
Litter Management Plan 2007 – 2009
Mayo County Council
Litter has been recognised as a nationwide problem. A recent national survey
on litter by the National Litter Monitoring Body (TES, 2006) concluded that
passing pedestrians were responsible for 35.6% of all litter polluting our
country and over 80% of litter is cigarette and food related in origin.
Packaging litter, paper and plastics are some examples of the remaining
contributing litter. In addition to passing pedestrians, this pervasive nuisance
also originates from motorists, fast food outlets and retail outlets.
Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) is an alliance encompassing greater than
30 member companies, employing in excess of 70,000 staff. Members share a
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, all towns of population
6,000 and over are monitored independently by An Taisce in accordance with
international grading standards.
1.0.3 Litter in Mayo
Mayo is currently the proud home of Ireland’s tidiest town – Westport.
Having also won the award in 2001 in addition to the Tidiest Large Town in
2003 and 2004 and a gold medal in 2002, Westport has been tremendously
successful in national and international competitions which recognise the
significance and importance of the theme of litter control, prevention and
alleviation.
In the first round of surveys conducted by IBAL in Mayo in 2006, a number of
areas in both Castlebar and Ballina were described as having ‘ serious litter
problems’. In contrast, however, the majority of locations were described as
‘clean to European norms’. This survey demonstrates that even though many
areas in Mayo are unpolluted by litter or litter-free, some litter black spots
remain and these problem areas should ideally be alleviated as a matter of
urgency.
Page
-7-
Litter Management Plan 2007 – 2009
Mayo County Council
Litter Black Spot
Like every Irish county, Mayo has a litter pollution problem that must be
addressed. Mayo County Council recognises this fact and steps have been
taken and continue to be taken to control and alleviate this widespread
nuisance. Members of Ballina and Castlebar Town Councils have proposed
that individual Town Litter Management Plans will not be compiled but
instead, objectives set and measures proposed by the County Litter
Management Plan will include these two towns.
2.0
Litter and The Law
2.0.1 Litter Pollution Act, 1997 and 2001
The Litter Pollution Act came into force in 1997, repealing The Litter Act,
1982. It was amended by the Waste Management (Amendment) Act, 2001 and
is now referred to as the Litter Pollution Act, 1997 and 2001. The main
objectives of the Act are to define littering as an offence, assign responsibility
for litter control to producers, retailers and business owners, to facilitate the
enforcement of litter offences, to define local authority responsibilities with
respect to litter management planning, supervision and to define collection
systems for litter. Hence, to call the Litter Pollution Act, 1997 a ‘litter act’
undermines the many powers and functions given to local authorities in
addition to the duties of the general public bestowed by this piece of
legislation.
Page
-8-
Litter Management Plan 2007 – 2009
Mayo County Council
For the purpose of this document the Litter Pollution Act, 1979 and 2001 will
be referred to as ‘the Act’ and is summarised as follows.

Sections 1 and 2 contain the short title and interpretation.

Sections 3-6 are vital as; they collectively define the creation of litter as
an offence, and detail the duties on landowners and householders to
prevent litter.

Sections 7 –8 outline the prevention of creation of litter and the duty of
respecting public roads.

Section 9 highlights the serving of a notice on persons to remove waste
in a specified period.

Sections 10-13 describe the various roles and functions of local
authorities within their functional area. In addition, Section 10 details
the responsibility of each Local Authority to prepare a Litter
Management Plan in respect of its functional area. This Plan should
include inter alia identification of litter pollution issues, prevention
and control of litter pollution, its policies on enforcement measures,
educational
campaigns,
community
involvement
and
general
enforcement of the Act. Section 10 also details the timeframes involved
in compiling such a document and issues responsibility on the relevant
local authority to review the Plan at least once in each period of 3 years.
In addition, the local authority ‘should also prepare a report for
consideration by the council or corporation, as the case may be, on the
operation of this Act in the functional area of the local authority
indicating the measures taken by the local authority in the previous
calendar year in relation to the prevention and control of litter’.

Section 14 describes the immunity of local authorities from liability.

Sections 15-18 describe the responsibilities of owners of commercial
activities and their role in the prevention of litter.

Sections 19-22 covers issues such as dog fouling, fly posting and
unwanted advertising signs.

Penalties incurred upon non-compliance with the Act are detailed in
Sections 23-28 and the final sections 29-36 deal with Ministerial
functions and creation of regulations.
Page
-9-
Litter Management Plan 2007 – 2009
Mayo County Council
2.0.2 Current Status - 2006
Under Sections 10, 11 and 12 of the Act, Mayo County Council is obliged to
produce a Litter Management Plan (LMP) and to review this plan at least once
in each period after the plan is first implemented. This document will be cited
as Mayo County Council Litter Management Plan 2007 to 2009. In addition,
Mayo County Council will prepare a report for consideration on the operation
of the Litter Pollution Act, indicating the measures taken in the previous
calendar year in relation to the prevention and control of litter.
Litter and Our Legacy
Mayo County Council
appreciates that
public awareness
measures,
educational endeavours and cooperation from the general public in addition
to enforcement measures are crucial to alleviate, control and attempt to
prevent litter pollution insofar as possible. Hence, it is envisaged that the
current Litter Management Plan of Mayo County Council will be a plan for the
future, resulting in a positive outcome in the area of litter pollution control.
Page
- 10 -
Litter Management Plan 2007 – 2009
Mayo County Council
3.0
Litter Management Plan 2007 to 2009
3.0.1 General Objectives of the Litter Management Plan
In developing a Litter Management Plan, the powers enacted upon Mayo
County Council by the Litter Pollution Act, 1997 will be identified and clearly
stated.
It has been recognised that the objectives of such a plan will be successfully
achieved by:
focusing on the powers of enforcement and active control

a fully co-ordinated and cooperative approach actively
involving all members of the general public

relaying an anti-litter message to each and every Mayo
dweller and visitor.
The following measures for the alleviation of litter pollution have been
identified and are adopted or in the process of being adopted. It is hoped that
by the successful undertaking of each individual measure to its full potential,
many improvements will be made in the area of litter management, control
and prevention.

Public Awareness and Advisory Measures

Youth Education Measures

Community and Voluntary Group Cooperative Measures

Partnership and Consultative Measures / Planning

Enforcement Measures

Active Control Measures

Miscellaneous Measures
Page
- 11 -
Litter Management Plan 2007 – 2009
Mayo County Council
3.1 Litter Prevention, Control and Alleviation Measures
3.1.1
Public Awareness and Advisory Measures
Measures Undertaken
In a recent survey compiled locally and undertaken on a random population
by second level institutions in Castlebar, it was concluded that 41% of the
interviewees were familiar with the Litter Pollution Act, 1997 and 2001
(Donnelly, 2006). The initial objective of this survey was to report findings in
papers in circulation in the Mayo region to coincide with National Spring
Clean 2006 and was not a Mayo County Council campaign, rather a public
awareness exercise in conjunction with Castlebar Tidy Towns Committee. The
survey was conducted on a random population of Castlebar residents and
visitors, representing both genders and age categories from 15 years to 55+.
Public awareness on litter pollution is paramount in order to control the
problem. It has been estimated that cigarette-related litter constitutes the
highest percentage (49.39%) of litter in Ireland (TES, 2006) and yet it has
been suggested that many individuals do not regard cigarette butts as items of
litter. This one example clearly demonstrates a poor understanding of the Act
and its definitions.
Mayo County Council has concentrated on public awareness measures for
many years.

One such example is the ‘Litter and the Law’ publication which is
distributed widely throughout the county (Appendix I). In addition to
describing the responsibilities of Mayo County Council and of the
general public, this document also highlights other legislation such as
the Waste Management (Amendment) Act, 2001 and the Environment
Act, 2003.
Page
- 12 -
Litter Management Plan 2007 – 2009
Mayo County Council
Litter & The Law –
one publication by Mayo County Council

As a very important means of communication, the Mayo County
Council
Homepage
www.mayococo.ie
contains
litter-related
material and also application forms for various anti-litter grants and
other initiatives, described in Sections 3.1.2 and 3.1.3 of this document.

Local newspapers in circulation in the functional area of Mayo
County Council have been used to advertise litter news and events such
as the annual An Taisce National Spring Clean in April.

Newsletters also, have the desired effect of raising awareness on all
environmental matters and local radio and cinema are used as a means
of communicating upcoming events and anti-litter initiatives and
announcements.
Mayo’s two landfills at Derrinumera and Rathroeen contain the main
recycling receptacles of the county accepting items such as plastics, tin and
aluminium cans, batteries, cardboard and papers and other items listed in
Appendix II. Throughout Mayo, there are approximately 90 ‘bring centres’ in
operation at present where one can deposit recyclable goods such as glass,
aluminium cans and clothing items.

Appropriate signs to identify these areas have had the desired effect
of increasing recycling and recovery rates and national statistics
Page
- 13 -
Litter Management Plan 2007 – 2009
Mayo County Council
highlight that diversion of waste from landfills has resulted in an
increase of recycled material to 33.6% in 2004 (EPA, 2006).
Some recycling receptacles at Derrinumera Landfill Site, Newport

Currently, the Mayo County Council Environmental Awareness
Officer and other staff provide information on anti-litter initiatives
and funding/grants available for active participation by the community
in litter awareness and control projects (Section 3.1.3). It has been
recognised that there is a need for an additional Environmental
Awareness Officer in Mayo County Council. Approval for the
employment of this person has been approved.
Measures Proposed
Mayo County Council will continue with its awareness and advisory approach
on all environmental matters and specifically, the issue of litter, the Act and all
of the duties and obligations of members of the public. It may be necessary to
identify a number of sections of the Act where additional advertising may be
used.
Dog Fouling

Section 22 (1) states ‘Where faeces has been deposited by a dog in any
place to which this subsection applies, the person in charge of the dog
shall immediately remove the faeces and shall ensure that it is properly
disposed of in a suitable sanitary manner’. The legislation relating to
Page
- 14 -
Litter Management Plan 2007 – 2009
Mayo County Council
dog fouling has been highlighted in the aforementioned ‘Litter and the
Law’ document but no details on availability of poop scoops in Mayo
are documented. These are currently available at no cost from lifeguard
staff at beaches in Mayo.
Business Community

Mayo County Council distributed a number of letters among the
business community in recent years. A draft of one such letter is
included in Appendix III. A similar letter detailing the responsibilities
and fines incurred by non-compliance circulated throughout the
business community of Mayo will be a valuable exercise in the area of
public awareness on all current litter legislation.
Publicans

Since
cigarette-related
litter
represents
almost
50%
of
litter
components in Ireland, publicans will be the first group of business
owners reminded of their obligations in litter pollution control and
prevention and indicating their general responsibilities under Section 3
of the Act and additional functions under Sections 6 as occupiers of
public places.
Cigarette-related litter Educational Campaigns

An additional proposal aimed at public awareness on cigarette-related
litter will be undertaken in the near future by Mayo County Council.
Environment Section Homepage

The Environment Section page of the Mayo County Council website
serves as a growing means of communication on all environment
matters and will be updated and supplemented accordingly.
Local Press Environment Column

Another proposal is that a column on Environmental News will appear
in local newspapers on a regular basis, to include such information as
availability of anti-litter funding, ongoing environmental projects,
National Spring Clean and other important dates in the Mayo
Environment calendar.
Page
- 15 -
Litter Management Plan 2007 – 2009
Mayo County Council
3.1.2 Youth Education Measures
Measures Undertaken
Mayo County Council currently employs a fulltime Environmental Awareness
Officer (EAO). Among her various functions and duties, she is responsible for
relaying an anti-litter message to both primary and secondary school students.
Of utmost importance on a worldwide level is the Green-Schools (EcoSchools) initiative. Co-ordinated on an international level by FEE (Foundation
for Environmental Education), there are currently over 14,500 schools in 37
countries in Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania and South America taking part in
the programme. On a national level, over 2,300 primary, secondary and
special schools in Ireland (~ 55% of all Irish schools) are currently taking part
in the programme and 885 have been awarded the Green Flag.
In Mayo, over 110 schools have registered for their Green Flag Award and at
present (2007) 63 schools retain the Green Flag. The importance of litter and
waste as one of the central themes of this initiative cannot be over-emphasised
and with the regular visits and continuous advice from the Environmental
Awareness Officer, in addition to financial support from Mayo County
Council, there will be a significant increase in the number of Green Flag
recipients in Mayo.
Proud recipients of their Green Flag - Knock NS, Co. Mayo
Additional youth education measures undertaken to date have been in
cooperation with voluntary community groups. One such example was the
Anti-litter Photograph Competition held by Castlebar Tidy Towns
Committee and partly funded by Mayo County Council (70% funded by AntiPage
- 16 -
Litter Management Plan 2007 – 2009
Mayo County Council
litter Awareness Fund, 2005). This initiative was undertaken to educate
secondary school students on the problem of litter and to actively encourage
their commitment to a cleaner and litter-free society. A number of disposable
cameras were distributed to the second level institutions of Castlebar and
students were asked to capture images of litter black spots as well as beauty
spots of Mayo. A number of winning pictures of littered areas are used
throughout this document.
Other youth cooperation projects included ‘Adopt An Area’ project,
Westport Tidy Towns Community EMAS Project, Swinford Tidy Towns Litter
Poster Competition and Mayo Arts Squad Bottle Banks Project. All cleaning
items necessary (gloves, refuse sacks, litter pickers etc) were provided by
Mayo County Council and prizes presented for these projects were funded or
subsidised by the local authority.
One example of litter images captured by second level students
Measures Proposed
Mayo County Council aims to continue with its dedicated youth education
campaign. While young people are often wrongly accused of causing a large
percentage of the litter problem, it is still acknowledged that the youth of
today are tomorrow’s adults and their attitudes towards litter should be of
zero tolerance.

While 63 schools in Mayo have received Green Flags, it is an objective
to increase this number over the coming years
Page
- 17 -
Litter Management Plan 2007 – 2009
Mayo County Council

It is imperative that regular contact between the Environmental
Awareness Officer and school students in addition to youth groups (girl
guides, youth clubs, Foroige, boy scouts etc) will be maintained to
engender a spirit of responsibility and cooperation.

Additional competitions are always welcomed and desirable to
encourage young peoples’ involvement in litter awareness programmes.
In the past, anti-litter poster competitions have proven to be very
successful and popular methods of education of younger members of
our community.
Anti-litter posters on display in Castlebar Library
3.1.3 Community and Voluntary Group Cooperative Measures
Measures Undertaken
All litter is caused by people.
The preceding statement may seem quite obvious but in truth all litter
originates from peoples’ carelessness, neglect, irresponsibility or sheer
disrespect for their environment.
While enforcement and active control measures are in place to ‘cure’ the litter
problem, there is an urgent need to supplement these legal measures with
cooperative and community participation in a bid to prevent the problem in
the first place.
In the aforementioned survey compiled in April 2006, 91% of all those
interviewed believe that Castlebar has a litter problem; yet 100% of
interviewees did not belong to a resident’s committee and admitted their
disinterest in forming one.
Page
- 18 -
Litter Management Plan 2007 – 2009
Mayo County Council
Public participation is paramount in combating a litter crisis. Individuals will
be encouraged to take responsibility and are continuously urged to become
involved in litter prevention and control. In 2006, 30 towns, small towns and
villages from Mayo entered the National Tidy Towns competition and four of
the categories, of varying populations of urban centres, were represented. As
stated previously, Mayo is currently home to Ireland’s tidiest town –
Westport. With regards to marks allocated for Litter Control, Westport scored
38 marks or 76% of the 50 points awarded. In addition, other marks allocated
by the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government in other
categories such as Tidiness, General Impression and Roads, Streets and Back
Areas reflected the absence of litter on a large scale in Westport town. Such an
award can only be achieved by the efforts of a dedicated committee, work and
voluntary support of the general public, and support from Mayo County
Council and Westport Town Council in the areas of active control of litter,
enforcement of legislation and general responsibilities of the local authority in
the management and alleviation of litter. It also highlights exactly what can be
achieved with unanimous cooperation and participation – and pride.
Community Support – Volunteers and members of Westport Tidy Towns Committee
Anti-Litter Awareness Funding
In an attempt to encourage further community action and voluntary group
participation, Mayo County Council has introduced a number of initiatives.
The Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government Anti-litter
Awareness Funds are made available as grants to community groups, schools,
Tidy Towns Committees, residents’ committees and other organisations.
Page
- 19 -
Litter Management Plan 2007 – 2009
Mayo County Council
Another incentive to encourage community action in areas of litter and waste
is the Local Agenda 21 Environmental Partnership Fund.
Projects with an aim of public education and awareness initiatives against
litter are part funded by Mayo County Council (up to 70% of the total project
cost). Section 3.1.2 described one such project undertaken by Castlebar Tidy
Towns Committee.
Litter Action League is initiated by Mayo County Council on an annual
basis. For six months (April to September) participants from categories that
include
large
towns,
smaller
towns/large
villages
and
smaller
villages/communities strive to maintain a litter free status. This league system
awards 100 marks at the start of competition with marks deducted for litter
presence throughout the duration of the competition. The competition
promotes voluntary cleanups and formation of residents committees or other
community groups by monetary rewards.
Pride of Place?
Additional incentives open to members of the public are the Cleaner
Community Awards. Now in its 16th year, this campaign is another aimed
at recognising public participation in the bid to control litter and unsightly
areas of the county. Five categories are included:
 Local Area Environment Project
 Litter Clean-Up
 Tidy Housing Estates
Page
- 20 -
Litter Management Plan 2007 – 2009
Mayo County Council
 Schools Environmental Projects
 Best Kept Burial Grounds
By presenting prizes and/or mementos to successful participants, Mayo
County Council is attempting to instil a sense of pride within the community,
and also encouraging others to become involved.
Measures Proposed

Mayo County Council will continue to support, both financially and
otherwise, community groups and voluntary committees in their bids to
prevent, control and alleviate litter.
Having recently reviewed the current anti-litter campaigns such as Litter
Action League and Cleaner Community Awards, it was concluded that more
vigorous promotional campaigns will be necessary to maintain public interest
and to attract additional members of all areas within the community. New
categories will be added or existing categories will be supplemented to
preserve and increase competition entries.

One such idea is the ‘Adopt An Area’ or ‘Adopt A Street’ initiative
that could be aimed at business owners of towns and villages
throughout the county. To encourage participation from the business
community, public areas could be designated as the responsibility of
business owners. Participants to the programme would compete to
maintain a litter-free environment and in lieu of monitory gain or
rewards,
mementos
and
positive
advertising
for
their
business/establishment would be the main incentive.

Another similar proposal aimed at business owners is to include
businesses
and
privately
owned
enterprises
in
League
competitions. Industrial estates have been identified as litter black
spots by both IBAL and An Taisce. In addition to the advisory letters
distributed by Mayo County Council, a league table of litter
management at these areas may serve to dissuade employers,
employees and the general public from littering at these centres.
Positive advertising in local newspapers as well as prizes would be
incentives to partake in the Business Litter League.
Page
- 21 -
Litter Management Plan 2007 – 2009
Mayo County Council
Litter Management is an important matter, which is primarily a responsibility
of local authorities but also of every member and visitor of the county. Hence,
while Mayo County Council will continue to support active measures by
volunteers, it is imperative that members of the public continue with their
important and recognised work in the litter pollution area.
Street sweeping by Westport Tidy Towns Committee member
3.1.4 Partnership and Consultative Measures/Planning
Measures Undertaken
The Connaught Waste Management Replacement Plan 2006-2011 replaced
the 2001 Waste Management Plan and includes six local authorities of Galway
city and Co. Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon and Sligo in accordance with
Section 22 of the Waste Management Acts 1996-2005. Although almost
exclusively devoted to waste prevention and minimisation, this Plan
demonstrated inter-county partnership and consultation and also includes
data on expenditure for litter prevention.
Other partnership projects, which are currently undertaken, include that with
the Local Government Computer Services Board (LGCSB), the National Litter
Monitoring Body (TES Consulting Engineers) and Mayo County Council. The
main purpose of the monitoring system is to generate reliable data to enable
local authorities to measure accurately changes in the extent and composition
of litter pollution in its functional area, and hence to provide more effective
litter management planning. Following ‘benchmark’ surveys in 2002/2003,
Page
- 22 -
Litter Management Plan 2007 – 2009
Mayo County Council
litter wardens and other environmental staff have undertaken annual surveys.
Data are then collated and identified using litter GIS software and used by
TES to generate national data.
Measures Proposed

It is envisaged that current partnership and cooperative measures will
continue into the future. Workshops by the National Litter Monitoring
Body take place on an ongoing basis. Mayo County Council will
participate fully with these events.
3.1.5 Enforcement Measures
Measures Undertaken
Under Section 2 (1) of the Litter Pollution Act, 1997 and 2001 a ‘"litter
warden" means a person authorised by a local authority to perform, on behalf
of the local authority, the functions of the local authority and of a litter warden
under this Act;’
The functions of a litter warden under the Litter Pollution Act are detailed in
many sections but generally a warden is the representative of the local
authority and has the power to issue litter fines upon contravention of the Act.
At present there are three fulltime litter/traffic wardens employed by Mayo
County Council who actively prosecute litter offenders. Ballina and Castlebar
Town Councils employ additional staff. An additional county litter warden has
also a responsibility for enforcement of traffic laws and so, litter law
enforcement is not as high a priority as it deserves. It is not always possible to
prosecute ‘suspected offenders’ where there is unsubstantial evidence but staff
of Mayo County Council endeavour to maintain a positive approach to fining
and prosecuting offenders whenever possible.
In Mayo there are three Environmental Enforcement Officers employed to
identify litter black spots and areas where illegal dumping has occurred. Litter
fines can also be issues by these officers but these are generally to littering
motorists throughout the county, as opposed to pedestrians or business
owners. Members of the general public can also report littering offences to the
Mayo Co Council litter line: 1800 400 256. An advertisement to publicise
this number and its use will be placed in local newspapers being circulated
within the functional area.
Page
- 23 -
Litter Management Plan 2007 – 2009
Mayo County Council
In addition, a new Public Complaints Procedure (PCP) is currently being
developed within the Environment Section of Mayo County Council. It is
envisaged that a more efficient system for dealing with complaints of an
environmental nature is essential to maintain control and protect the
environment insofar as our local authority functions will allow.
On a recent examination of the enforcement statistics of Mayo County Council
from 2004 to 2006, it was observed that 2006 saw the highest fines of €2,500
imposed for non-compliance with the Act. The number of prosecutions in
2006 was the highest over the three years, as were the number of convictions
under litter legislation. In all three years, on-the-spot fines of €125 were
issued only by the local authority and not on any occasion by the Gardai. (It
should be noted that 2006 statistics are for the period January to September
only). The annual enforcement statistics are shown in figure 1.
300
250
Number
200
2004
150
2005
2006*
100
50
0
Prosecutions
Convictions
On-the-spot fines On-the-spot fines On-the-spot fines
by Mayo Co
PAID
by Gardai
Council
Fig. 1 Summary of Enforcement of Litter Pollution Act by Mayo County Council (2004
to 2006. (* 2006 refers to January to September only)
While an increase in litter-related prosecutions and fines is not indicative of
an improvement in the area of litter prevention, it is hoped that the statistics
show a positive way forward, which demonstrates that Mayo County Council is
taking enforcement measures seriously. While society, as a whole, continues
Page
- 24 -
Litter Management Plan 2007 – 2009
Mayo County Council
to pollute, many offenders who have been fined or prosecuted may be deterred
from re-offending. It is a policy of Mayo County Council to prosecute all litter
offences described in the Litter Pollution Act, 1997 and 2001, where sufficient
evidence is available.
Measures Proposed

It is acknowledged that three county litter/traffic wardens and
additional Town Council litter/traffic wardens are inadequate for the
enforcement of the Litter Pollution Act, 1997 and 2001 on a countywide
level. Hence, it is a priority of Mayo County Council that additional
litter wardens will be employed for the purpose of the enforcement of
the Act.
Since it is currently impossible to fine or prosecute people of less than 18 years
for non-compliance with the Act, an alternative option should be in place to
reprimand those who contravene the Act. While a ‘Name & Shame’ policy
may serve to identify offending young persons, it may not have the desired
effect of preventing re-offending.

At a recent meeting of Mayo County Council, it was agreed that many
littering offences by young persons occur in the early hours of the
morning during weekends and school holidays and the main
component of this litter is fast food packaging. It is no doubt
necessary and very appropriate then, to employ litter wardens to police
the streets at these peak times. Since fines cannot be issued to a
juvenile, a verbal warning will be the first step in cautioning a young
offender. If the person doesn’t appear to be contrite, a warning letter
may then be issued to the parent or legal guardian, at the discretion of
Mayo Co. Council personnel.

With regards to the fast food outlets, two approaches are currently
being considered by the Council. One is that a byelaw will be
introduced to compel restaurants owners and fast food outlets to
close their premises at specified times another approach would be
used to compel every such business owner to use labelled packaging
to identify the fast food outlet from where the litter originated.

A proposal was made by Westport Town Council and voluntary groups
to introduce a byelaw, banning chewing gum sales in the west Mayo
Page
- 25 -
Litter Management Plan 2007 – 2009
Mayo County Council
town. While this suggestion was not enacted into legislation, there is an
option there for Mayo County Council to introduce byelaws in the area
of litter pollution control.
3.1.6 Active Control Measures
Measures Undertaken
It is an aim of Mayo County Council to have a successful and well-organised
litter management strategy in every town and area in Mayo but financial
constraints have jeopardised this objective.
Subsequently, the budget allocation for street-cleaning, bin emptying and road
sweeping is being examined with the aim of developing a specific budget
exclusively for these purposes.
Many public litter bins in Mayo are designed to contain litter in extreme
weather conditions and also prevent removal of litter by birds and small
animals.
In addition, clean-ups of litter black spots are undertaken whenever necessary
and Mayo County Council will continue with these necessary remedial works
Measures Proposed

A review of the current cleaning and litter control plans
throughout Mayo is necessary.

Under Sections 7 and 8 of the Act, Mayo County Council is
recognised as having prime responsibility for ensuring that public
roads in its functional area are free of litter and that all measures
should be taken to ensure the prevention of the creation of litter.

Measures for collection and maintenance of litter receptacles are in
place and should be deemed as crucial elements of the Litter
Management Plan of Mayo County Council. In terms of the provision of
litter receptacles, bin audits are recommended for urban areas
throughout Mayo, to ensure functioning and adequate bins for use by
members of the public.

It is proposed that a code of practise will be followed by County Council
with reference to quantity of bins per metre of road or street. The
Page
- 26 -
Litter Management Plan 2007 – 2009
Mayo County Council
aforementioned bin audit will serve to identify areas where additional
bins are necessary.

A pilot study will be undertaken in an area of a designated town in
Mayo where a compartmentalised street bin will be used. These bins
are divided into four sections – for glass, plastic, paper and general
refuse. While all efforts to control and alleviate litter are vital, these
bins will also serve to raise awareness on recycling and encourage
diversion of waste from landfills. Bins such as those proposed are
currently in use throughout many European cities, including Helsinki
and Copenhagen.
An example of street bin proposed for use in a Mayo town
3.1.7 Miscellaneous Measures
Measures Undertaken
A statement of accounts detailing monies spent on litter mitigation and
prevention including revenue received from litter fines in 2006 is included in
Appendix IV. All efforts and miscellaneous campaigns, projects, and measures
have been categorised and cost estimates have been detailed.
The Litter Pollution Act, 1997 and 2001 is currently the piece of legislation
governing the protection of our environment from litter. However, the
relevance of litter and its control has spread widely to be included in many
Page
- 27 -
Litter Management Plan 2007 – 2009
Mayo County Council
other pieces of legislation and other environmental endeavours. The National
Tidy Towns competition incorporates marks awarded to communities for litter
(12.5 % of total marks) but marks are also awarded for tidiness (7.5%), waste
minimisation (5%), residential areas (10%) and roads, streets and back areas
categories (12.5%). To conclude, litter prevention governs almost 50% of
marks awarded by the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local
Government in the National competition.
The aforementioned Green-Schools initiative also promotes litter prevention
and waste management as a high priority parameter in the effort to receive the
award of the Green Flag.
Other An Taisce programmes which include litter management as a priority
are the Blue Flag award which states that ‘On the beach, litter should not be
allowed to accumulate, be hazardous or be unsightly. The beach must comply
with any national guidelines regarding litter.’
Also mentioned in Section 3.1.1 of this document is the National Spring Clean
Campaign, which states as its principal objectives:

Heighten awareness of litter and waste issues

Encourage clean-ups throughout the whole month of April

Increase active participation among Youth, Business and other
under-represented groups

Promote the notion of personal responsibility for litter
Image from outside Mayo County Council HQ
Page
- 28 -
Litter Management Plan 2007 – 2009
Mayo County Council
It is therefore very important for Mayo as a county to remain involved in
National and European endeavours and to promote community involvement
by advertisements and financial contributions. Litter control is essential and
its vital message must be continually relayed. ‘Pay & Display’ parking tickets
currently used in a number of towns in Mayo portray a ‘Keep Your Town Tidy’
message; a simple yet effective method of reminding members of the public
to dispose of a used ticket responsibly.
Simple Reminders
Measures Proposed
Mayo County Council, as the local authority for the functional area of Mayo
has the responsibility to lead by example and to actively encourage the public;
dwellers and visitors of Mayo to keep the county litter free. Inspiration should
arrive from within the local authority, whose function it is to ensure
compliance with the Litter Pollution Act, 1997 insofar as possible.

Mayo County Council was chosen as a pilot local authority to
implement the Action at Work Programme of ‘Race Against
Waste’. The Waste Action Plan of 2006 has the overall objective of
engaging all members of the Council on the waste issue. While ‘litter’
and ‘waste’ have been defined as separate entities, education and
awareness measures on both could be undertaken concurrently.

In addition to the examination of various ways to reduce waste in the
workplace, the Plan could be used to heighten awareness among all
members of Mayo County Council of their individual responsibilities
Page
- 29 -
Litter Management Plan 2007 – 2009
Mayo County Council
to prevent waste insofar as possible, divert waste from landfill and be
vigilant in the area of litter pollution prevention.

A Litter Prevention Board could be set up within the Council. This
team, similar to the Green Team of the Waste Action Plan may be given
responsibilities to promote awareness on litter, encourage participation
in anti-litter events by all staffing addition to the provision of adequate
litter bins and cigarette receptacles where suitable. Mayo County
Council employs people of varying ages, qualifications and roles but on
the topic of litter, there should be one role – to target the litter
problem.
This three-year Litter Management Plan should be regarded as a plan for the
future management of litter in Mayo. It includes a number of measures and
details those undertaken at present in addition to those proposed. The plan is
a blueprint for the future - to control, alleviate and prevent litter pollution in
Mayo by every member and visitor.
At a recent meeting of Mayo County Council, the members passed a proposal
(324/06) ‘That Mayo County Council resolves to designate elimination of
illegal dumping and litter as the Council’s top priority for 2007’.
This ambitious and determined approach of Mayo County councillors should
be mirrored by Mayo dwellers and visitors alike and should be envisaged as a
very positive way forward.
Page
- 30 -
Litter Management Plan 2007 – 2009
Mayo County Council
References
CSO, 2006. Census 2006 Preliminary Report.
Donnelly, K., 2006. Unpublished findings from Castlebar Tidy Towns
Committee Litter Survey.
Environmental Protection Agency, 2006. Environment in Focus 2006
Environmental Indicators for Ireland.
TES, 2006. The National Litter Pollution Monitoring System. Litter
Monitoring Body System Results. Prepared for The Department of
Environment, Heritage and Local Government.
Page
- 31 -
Litter Management Plan 2007 – 2009
Mayo County Council
Appendix I Litter & The Law Publication by Mayo County Council
Page
- 32 -
Litter Management Plan 2007 – 2009
Mayo County Council
Appendix II Bring Centres throughout Co. Mayo
Town
Materials
Location
Aughagower
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Hand ball alley car
park
Balla
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Main Street
Ballina
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Car park off
Teeling/Bury street
Ballina
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Costcutters
supermarket,
killala Road
Ballina
Glass, Aluminium Cans, Textiles are taken.
Dunnes Stores Car
park
Ballina
Glass, Aluminium Cans, Batteries, Engine Oil,
Plastic Milk Cartons, Plastic Drink Bottles,
News Print, Cardboard Mixed Paper, Metals,
Metal Food Tins, Textiles, Juice Milk Cartons,
Wood, Builders Rubble, Fluorescent light
Tubes, White Goods, Tyres, Paint, Household
Corrosives, Pesticides, Vet Medicines,
Pharmacy Medicines are taken.
Rathroeen, Killala
Road (Ballina
Landfill)
Ballina
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Tesco's car park
Ballindine
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Centra
Ballinrobe
Glass, Aluminium Cans, Textiles are taken.
Church Lane car
park
Ballinrobe
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Mace Garage,
Castlebar Rd
Ballinrobe
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Mayo County
Council car park,
Kilmaine Road
Ballycastle
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Town Hall car
park
Ballycroy
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
In front of church
car park
Ballyglass
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Outside football
pitch
Ballyhaunis
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Car park off main
street
Bangor Erris
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Opposite the
church
Barnacarrol
(Knock)
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Community centre
car park
Belmullet
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Healy's, Barnatra
Page
- 33 -
Litter Management Plan 2007 – 2009
Mayo County Council
Belmullet
Glass, Aluminium Cans, Textiles are taken.
The quay, near
Mangans shop
Bofeenaun
(Ballina)
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
community centre
Bonnicolon
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Tubbercurry Road
Breaffy
Aluminium Cans are taken.
St Johns National
School
Brickens
(Claremorris)
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Community Centre
Carnacon
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Community centre
car park
Carracastle
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Carracastle
National School
Carratigue
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
An Siopa
CarrowmoreLacken
(Ballina)
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Kerry Mans Inn,
Banagher
Cashel (Achill) Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Ted Lavelles pub
Castlebar
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Car park near
Dunnes stores
Castlebar
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Car park off
Market Square
Castlebar
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Mayo County
Council car park
Charlestown
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Old Railway
station
Clare Island
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
The Pier
Claremorris
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Luina na Greine,
Beside Mayo
County Council
area office
Claremorris
Glass, Aluminium Cans, Textiles are taken.
Supervalue car
park
Clogher
(Claremorris)
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
GAA Grounds
Cong
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Church car park
Crimlin
(Castlebar)
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Community Centre
Cross
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Car park of O
Malleys pub
Crossmolina
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Near the church
Curraun
(Achill)
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Beside the shore
road
Page
- 34 -
Litter Management Plan 2007 – 2009
Mayo County Council
Derrinumera
Glass, Aluminium Cans, Batteries, Engine Oil,
Plastic Milk Cartons, Plastic Drink Bottles,
News Print, Cardboard Mixed Paper, Metals,
Metal Food Tins, Textiles, Juice Milk Cartons,
Wood, White Goods, Tyres, Paint, Household
Corrosives, Pesticides, Vet Medicines are taken.
Landfill site; Off
Newport Road
between Newport
and Castlebar
Dooagh
(Achill)
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Beside the Post
Office
Dugort
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Camping site
Eachlaim
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Community Hall
car park
Elly Bay
(Belmullet)
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
UISCE adventure
centre
Foxford
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Church car park
Garrymore
(Claremorris)
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
GAA pitch
Geesala
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Community centre
car park
Glenhest
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
community centre
Glenisland
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Church car park
Hollymount
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Fahys Garage
Irishtown
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Outside of church
Islaneady
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Church car park
Keel (Achill)
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Outside caravan
and camping site
Keenagh
(Crossmolina)
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Opposite the
Church
Kilasser
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Community Centre
Kilcon (Killala) Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Kilcon village,
Kilfian
Kilkelly
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Freemans garage
Killala
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Wards food market
car park
Killawalla
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Opposite Church
Killeen
(Louisburgh)
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Beside the Bridge
Kiltimagh
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Supervalue car
park
Knock
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Basilica car park
Lahardane
(Crossmolina)
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Community Centre
car park
Lismirrane
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
O’Dywer Cheshire
Page
- 35 -
Litter Management Plan 2007 – 2009
Mayo County Council
(Bohola)
home
Louisburgh
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Car park
Manulla
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Community Centre
Mayo Abbey
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
GAA Pitch
Meelick
(Swinford)
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Community Centre
Moygownagh
(Ballina)
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Mitchells Garage
Mulranny
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Car park opposite
Dohertys shop
Parke
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
GAA pitch
Partry
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Community centre
car park
Polranny
(Achill)
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Beside the ESB
sub-station
Rossport
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Secondary school
car park
Roundfort
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Community Centre
Shrule
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Community Centre
Swinford
Glass, Aluminium Cans, Metal Food Tins are
taken.
Car park of
Mellets shop
Swinford
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Corrib Oil Filling
Station, Dublin
Road,
The Neale
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Mellots pub
Toreen
(Ballyhaunis)
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
community centre
Tourmakeady
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Community Hall
car park
Westport
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Centra car park
(near the quay)
Westport
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Leisure centre car
park
Westport
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Sacred Heart
Secondary School
Westport
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Supervalue carpark
Westport
Glass, Aluminium Cans are taken.
Tip Top Service
station, Castlebar
Road,
Page
- 36 -
Litter Management Plan 2007 – 2009
Mayo County Council
Appendix III Draft of letter sent to business owners, 2005
Page
- 37 -
Litter Management Plan 2007 – 2009
Mayo County Council
Appendix III cont’d
Page
- 38 -
Litter Management Plan 2007 – 2009
Mayo County Council
Appendix IV Statement of Accounts - 2006
Litter Expenditure January - October 2006
Expenditure
Anti-litter Awareness Grants
€
Received payments
15,000 On-the-spot fines
Cleaner Community Campaign
9,000 Other fines imposed
Litter Action Leagues
13,450
€
8,250
250-2,500
Active Control
Additional Competitions
Environmental Education
17,828
1,278
56,556
Page
- 39 -
8,250
Litter Management Plan 2007 – 2009
Mayo County Council
Appendix V Process of Litter Management Plan (LMP) Development
This Appendix to be completed following public consultation
process
Submissions received (data to be collated following public consultation
process)
Adopted recommendations (data to be collated following consultation
process)
Written Submissions – letters or alternative correspondence received in
relation to LMP. (data to be collated following consultation process)
Page
- 40 -
Litter Management Plan 2007 – 2009
Mayo County Council
Litter Management Plan
2007 – 2009
Executive Summary
Mayo County Council
Executive Summary
According to the Litter Pollution Act, 1997 and 2001, ‘"litter" means a substance or
object, whether or not intended as waste (other than waste within the meaning of the
Page
- 41 -
Litter Management Plan 2007 – 2009
Mayo County Council
Waste Management Act, 1996, which is properly consigned for disposal) that, when
deposited in a place other than a litter receptacle or other place lawfully designated
for the deposit, is or is likely to become unsightly, deleterious, nauseous or
unsanitary, whether by itself or with any other such substance or object, and
regardless of its size or volume or the extent of the deposit’.
Under Section 10 of the Litter Pollution Act, 1997 and 2001 each Local Authority has
the responsibility of adopting a Litter Management Plan within its functional area.
The principal objective of a Litter Management Plan is to alleviate, control and
prevent litter pollution insofar as possible and Mayo County Council appreciates that
public awareness measures, educational endeavours and cooperation from the
general public in addition to enforcement measures are crucial to achieve this
primary goal.
The Mayo County Council Litter Management Plan, for the period 2007 to 2009,
includes inter alia identification of litter pollution issues, prevention and control of
litter pollution, policies on enforcement measures, educational campaigns,
community involvement and general enforcement of the Act. The measures to
achieve the primary goals are listed as follows. In addition Table 1 summarises the
main measures, with initiatives which are currently undertaken and those proposed
for the three-year period 2007 to 2009.
Programme of Measures for litter control, prevention and alleviation in Mayo:
1. Public Awareness and Advisory Measures
2. Youth Education Measures
3. Community and Voluntary Group Cooperative Measures
4. Partnership and Consultative Measures / Planning
5. Enforcement Measures
6. Active Control Measures
7. Miscellaneous Measures
Page
- 42 -
Litter Management Plan 2007 – 2009
Mayo County Council
Table 1 Summary of the litter prevention, control and alleviation measures. Current
initiatives are also shown, in addition to those which are proposed to be undertaken during
2007 to 2009
Litter Prevention, Control &
Alleviation Measures
1. Public Awareness & Advisory
Measures
Current Initiatives
Proposed Initiatives
Environment Leaflet &
Newsletters
Increase/supplement present
advertising
Mayo Co. Council website
www.mayococo.ie
Expand / supplement
environment page
Local press, cinema and radio
advertising
Increase/supplement present
advertising
Appropriate signs
Environmental Awareness
Officer (EAO)
Continue
Continue with current advisory
measures, approval for
additional EAO sought
Litter Advisory letters
Continue
Initiate a cigarette-related
litter educational campaign
2. Youth Education Measures
3. Community And Voluntary Group
Cooperative Measures
4. Partnership & Consultative
Measures / Planning
Green Flag Initiative
Photograph / Poster
competitions for students of all
ages
Continue and expand
Other Youth Education
projects e.g. 'Adopt An Area'
Continue and expand
Anti-litter Awareness funding
Continue all support, financial
and otherwise
Community Group Awards
Continue, increase promotion
and expand competitions
National Litter Monitoring Body
Continue support and
involvement
Connaught Waste Management
Group
Continue support and
involvement
Table 1 continued
Page
Continue and expand
- 43 -
Litter Management Plan 2007 – 2009
Mayo County Council
Litter Prevention, Control &
Alleviation Measures
5. Enforcement Measures
Current Initiatives
Proposed Initiatives
Environmental Enforcement
Officers
Employ additional wardens as a
priority
Continue with current litter
control and prevention
strategies
Litter Line 1800 400 256
To advertise this number
within the public domain
insofar as possible
Litter Wardens - enforcement
Initiate Environment Public
Complaints Procedure
Use alternative strategies for
littering by underage
offenders
Introduce byelaws
Prosecute all offenders when
sufficient evidence is available
6. Active Control Measures
Routine of bin-emptying, street
sweeping and cleaning
undertaken as efficiently as
possible
Continue and improve insofar
as possible
Review and examine current
cleaning plans in Mayo
Undertake a bin audit to
examine need for additional
bins
Undertake a pilot study with
compartmentalised bin in
designated Mayo town
7. Miscellaneous Measures
Blue Flag Beaches
Maintain current status
Tidy Towns Committees
Continue/maintain present
support
Maintain local authority
responsibility with respect to
litter prevention and control
Educate all employees on litter
pollution and encourage
cooperation on all litter
initiatives
Mayo Co Council to 'lead by
example'
Page
- 44 -
Continue and progress with
staff educational and
awareness campaigns
Develop a Litter Prevention
Board within Mayo County
Council