THE final survey of 2021 by business group Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) shows Limerick City falling to 35th position in the ranking of 40 towns and cities.
On a more positive note, Galvone improved six places to 33rd but the area is still rated as ‘littered’.
The study found PPE litter at its highest level nationwide since the pandemic began.
Naas finished ahead of Portlaoise and Ennis to record its first win in the annual rankings.
The report compiled by An Taisce stated that fewer than half the sites surveyed in Limerick City achieved the top ranking, with five of them described as litter blackspots.
“It was disappointing to see that some of the poorer ranking sites noted in previous IBAL surveys have seen little change in the overall litter status. These include the derelict site at Thomondgate, Mount Kenneth Place, the entrance to Cruises Street car park, the site at 7 Lower Mallow Street, the Bring facility on Dock Road as well as Colbert Train and Bus Station.
“Even some of the moderately littered sites weren’t just littered but had bags at the base of various street bins.
“Sites deserving of the top litter grade included People’s Park, (a wonderful resource in the centre of the city), the riverside environment of Clancy Strand and city centre streets at Cruises Street, Little Ellen Street and Rutland Street.
The report for Limerick City South stated that Galvone has seen a marked overall improvement compared to previous IBAL surveys, with fewer very heavily littered sites.
“The residential area of Churchfield, open green space at Kennedy Park, Roxboro Shopping Centre and Bawnmore Road were all deserving of the top litter grade.
“Dumping at the rear of Galvone Industrial Estate remains a problem. New signage had been installed at the Bring Centre at Roxboro Shopping Centre – there was a small improvement, but it was still a seriously littered site. Crossgalla Industrial Estate and Galvone Road (at Roseview Drive) were heavily littered.
On a national level, the report showed PPE litter at record levels, with an increase in the presence of both masks and gloves.
There was a significant rise in other pandemic-related litter, such as coffee cups, while alcohol-related litter remained at previous levels despite hospitality reopening and the survey being conducted in winter.
