It’s time we all cleaned up our act

LITTER problems are getting worse in our towns according to a survey

Only three towns, Carlow, Enniskillen and Fermoy have been designated as litter-free, whereas the worst offenders are Drogheda, Longford, Sligo and the Coombe/Liberties area of Dublin.

Unfortunately the amount of litter has increased in 15 of the 29 towns surveyed, but the all-Ireland anti-litter campaign has had a positive affect in promoting awareness of the desirability of litter eradication. On average the towns north of the border are significantly cleaner.

It is important that people become aware of the problem because of its impact on tourism, which is now one of the country’s biggest industries, providing countless jobs and bolstering business activities.

It is no longer acceptable that the remnants of a Friday night’s activities should be strewn upon the streets until Monday, along with other litter mounting over the weekend.

Everybody needs to be aware of the littler problem but the survey has highlighted the need for local authorities to recognise that waste management should be a seven-day function in the business areas of towns during the summer months, when the volume of social activity on streets tends to increase.