Draft Litter Plan

Operation Clean Sweep

In September 2003, Sligo County Council introduced this initiative, to coincide with the effective enforcement of the litter laws. This involves the Environmental Awareness Officer (EAO) visiting business premises in Tubbercurry, Ballymote and Enniscrone to advise them of their obligations. Following this, the Litter Warden pays a weekly/twice weekly visit to these towns to inspect pavements to ensure compliance with section 6 of the legislation (the requirement to keep front of premises litter free). Failure to keep the front of premises will mean an on-the-spot fine of €150! Most businesses have welcomed this initiative as it helps keep a focus on litter and in general results in a cleaner town.

Your Obligations, What the Law Says

No matter how small, litter is anything that is likely to become unsightly. Anything from sweet wrappers and cigarette butts to dumped bags of refuse or loads of builders' rubble and even glass at or about bring banks is considered litter. Cases of illegal dumping that are brought to court can cost €3,000 plus clean-ups and court costs.

Your Responsibilities

If you own or are responsible for a place to which the public has access or if a littered area is visible from a public place, the land or property has frontage onto a public pavement, you are required to keep it litter free. This is irrespective of who has left or thrown the litter. For example if litter is wind blown onto your property and it is visible from a public place, by law you are required to remove and dispose of that litter in a correct manner.

Private Property

We are all responsible for keeping any outdoor area on our property that can be seen from a public place litter-free. This applies to both owners and occupiers of private property.

Littered Areas

Sligo Local Authorities employ two full time litter wardens and a number of seasonal staff with responsibilities for litter enforcement. Where litter has accumulated on any land visible from a public place the Litter Warden will issue a notice to the owner or occupier of that land requiring the prompt removal of the litter. If the owner or occupier is unwilling or unable to clean up the area, area offices can do whatever is necessary and recoup costs from the offender.

Illegal Dumping

Where the identity of the owner of illegally dumped waste can be established that person will have a case to answer regardless of whether or not they were seen in the act of dumping. The Litter Warden has the authority to require a householder or business to indicate how they are disposing of their waste, particularly if they are not availing of a known service.

Major Events

Organisers of major events are required by the Litter Act to ensure that they have litter control measures in place at the venue and in the surrounding vicinity before, during and after the event. This applies to all events that draw a large crowd.

Mobile Food Outlets

Operators of mobile food outlets selling fast food or beverages, markets or other street vendors are all obliged to provide suitable litter control measures in the vicinity of their outlets. Also, they must clean-up any litter arising from the operation of their outlets within a radius of 100 metres of that outlet.

Dog Fouling

Dog mess is very unpleasant, a nuisance and can be a public health issue. Dog owners must now remove their pets' waste from public places and dispose of it in a proper manner. This obligation particularly applies to public roads, footpaths, parks and beaches. Pooper scoopers are available from the Local Authority to pet owners free of charge.

Bill and Leaflet Posting

The placing of advertising leaflets on car windscreens is prohibited. The law also forbids the putting up of posters/signs on poles or on other structures in public places unless you have the written permission of the owner.

Refuse Collection

All general refuse material should be placed in a wheelie bin and only put out on the morning of collection. Bags of dry recyclables must also be securely tied off. It is an offence to dispose of your household refuse in street litter bins, in public places or at bring banks. 

Enforcement

Sligo Local Authorities are responsible for the implementation of the Litter Pollution Act. The Gardaí also have the power to issue fines for litter offences, as do traffic wardens, beach wardens and lifeguards. The Council is responsible for keeping public places such as roads clear of litter as far as is practicable and has discretion with regard to the provision of public litter bins. 

Complaints

Each complaint about illegal dumping on public and private land is investigated. If evidence is found and depending on the volume of waste dumped, the Litter Warden either furnishes a report to the solicitor with a view to a prosecution or issues an on-the-spot fine.

Litter Monitoring

The Litter Warden also carries out daily inspections of known litter black spots along with conducting the Litter Pollution survey between May and September each year. This consists of a number of different types of surveys (i.e. pollution and quantification) to gauge the severity of the problem. The Litter Pollution Monitoring Board is responsible for collecting data in an effort to identify trends.