Pedestrians chief culprits as littering on the rise

CIGARETTE butts, chewing gum and packaging are the main types of litter strewn around the country while pedestrians are most to blame for causing it, according to the latest figures from Government.

The National Litter Pollution Monitoring System, operated by the Department of the Environment, publishes its 2009 report today, and shows while there were reductions in areas with the worst pollution, there were increases in other areas.

It comes as the Government plans to set up a task force aimed at tackling litter in the countryside and along roadsides.

Overall, 70% of areas surveyed for the report show a high level of cleanliness, which Minister for the Environment John Gormley said compared well to the figure for 2002 of 48%. The latest figures show grossly polluted areas fell to 0.3% from 0.5% two years ago, while 63.5% of all areas surveyed are slightly littered, a 0.9% increase.

Moderately polluted areas fell 0.9% to 25.7% and significantly polluted areas fell by 0.1% to 3.7%, while litter free areas increased to 6.8%.

As for litter detected:

* 45% was cigarette-related (41% butts); 29% food- related (27.3% chewing gum); and packaging accounted for 12%, with sweet wrappers accounting for another 7%.

* Pedestrians are the main culprits, responsible for more than 38% of the litter, ahead of passing motorists on 18%, retail outlets on 11%.

The figures show that when it comes to those causing the litter, there have been increases across the board, with more passing pedestrians (up 0.7%) and more motorists (also up 0.7%) causing the litter, while other factors which increased the dropping of litter last year include schools, bus stops and fly tipping.

However, there was less rubbish caused by gathering points, fast food outlets, construction sites, places of leisure and bring banks last year.

The data published today will be used by local authorities to tackle problem litter areas and by Government as it tries to cut the level of littering nationally.

An action group is likely to be established that will include members of statutory bodies to look at the problem of countryside litter and along roads.

They will be asked to deliver recommendations to the minister on how to deal with the issue amid concerns it is a growing problem for local authorities.