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DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL has said it is carrying out a “comprehensive” street cleaning operation in response to a rise in littering across the city in recent days.
Images shared on social media this week showed green spaces filled with rubbish left behind by people enjoying the warm weather, with one image of a park in south Dublin causing a stir online.
Councillors who spoke to The Journal suggested that a recent increase in visible waste is a “natural consequence” of the good weather and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Green Party councillor Claire Byrne described the increase in litter in parks and along canals in the south inner city as a huge problem.
“This is a big issue, not just in Dublin but across the whole country,” she said.
“I think it’s a combination of more people gathering outdoors – because they can only meet outside – for significantly longer periods of time, and us not having the sufficient infrastructure in place to deal with that.
“We’re putting massive investments into adapting to a more outdoor lifestyle as a result of the pandemic, but the management of litter has to form part of that picture.”
Byrne also suggested that the problem is as much to do with the behaviour of individuals as it is about how the council manages littering.
“We’re now in a space where everything’s a takeaway culture and the pandemic has forced us to end up with an increase in that kind of waste,” she added.
“But it also comes down to the personal responsibility side of things. Is it ever acceptable to just stand up and walk away from the waste that you’ve created? No, it’s not.”
One image sent to The Journal also showed waste left behind in Albert College Park beside Dublin City University in Ballymun, including cans and boxes of beer bottles.
Local Social Democrats councillor Mary Callaghan explained the destination was particularly popular among locals who wanted to enjoy the outdoors.
She said that although it was important that people got to exercise, she had noticed a general increase in littering all over the city.
“It’s kind of a natural consequence of people being out walking and exercising, and of people needing to get out and get some fresh air,” Callaghan said.
However, she added that the council had been responsive to her requests to clean up litter in the area.
Asked about the recent rise in visible litter around the city, a spokesperson for Dublin City Council said that the local authority’s waste management unit currently has a “comprehensive street cleaning service” in operation.
The council said that litter bins in all residential areas are serviced from Monday to Friday and that those in locations on main roads and in high footfall areas are serviced daily.
It further said that litter picking and sweeping was being carried out in areas of high footfall every day and that additional bins had been introduced to manage waste in high demand areas, including Clontarf, Portobello and Cross Guns Bridge in Phibsborough.
“This is under constant review and additional capacity will be introduced if required,” the council added.
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Linked to good weather and pandemic?…I’d say it’s linked to some people behaving like pigs, nothing else
@Irena Cepaitiene: Absolutely disguised at seeing this when driving by.
@Brian Kelly: What were you disguised as Brian? :-)
@David Corrigan: ha I see that now lol. Disgusted it should have been :-D
@David Corrigan: I lolled
@Irena Cepaitiene: I never understand why people genuinely think it’s OK to litter and dump and fly tip. Once I was out and went to put a wrapper in a nearby bin. The wind caught it and it headed down the street with me hot on its heels lol. I caught it about 200 yards away and put it in another nearby bin. People thought I was insane but I didn’t care. I didn’t litter lol
@Brian Kelly: I know how you feel. I was disgusting when I saw the photo.
@Brian Kelly: People should upload recordings of them getting up and walking away from their crap. A bit of fear of going viral is the only thing that might make them think.
@Brian Kelly: you were disguised as disgusted!! Dr Fake outrage!!
@Fabio Dillon: me too!
No excuses for that kind of thing. I see it in the hills near where I live when I go for a walk. Mattresses, beds, building site debris, bags of rubbish etc dumped along the side of the road.
Powerstown dump is less than 3 miles from that location and they couldn’t bring it there.
@David Corrigan: When so many do not follow the law and use bins, it is no surprise so many won’t follow the guidelines to stop the spread of covid.
@Neil Neart: Same here, we have a small group of volunteers doing our best but it is a full tine job and we could be out everyday.
@Neil Neart: not enough bins
There’s going to be a nasty surprise waiting for people when the 5km restriction is lifted. The more you travel the more you’re going to see of just how bad the litter problem is. And you might develop a low opinion of more people because of it.
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An absolute disgrace! These were a huge majority of young teens and I’m sad to say families also. I couldn’t believe it when passing by. They all live in a well to do neighborhood and to leave the park like that is outrageous. This is a generation of young people that have no respect what so ever for their parks and rivers. These are the same kids, teens and families that complain about how the world is changing for the worse, about plastic waste and rubbish. They need to cop-on big time and bring their rubbish with them to the nearest public bins and if the bins are full bring it home with you and bin it. Outrageous behavior!
@Brian Kelly: Not necessarily true. Why go to a park full of drug paraphernalia and parents leave full diapers in, when you can take over a leafy section of Dublin? I’ve stopped walking in my local park, due to the anti-social behavior gards have told us are coming from ”known families and young adults” outside the local area.
@Contrary Mary: That’s terrible you have to abandon your local park. But I know where most of these come from. They are actually very local. They come from Dundrum, Clonskeagh, Windy Arbour, Palmerston Park, the majority of the teens come down through (Alexandra College) down to the park. Remember this is a Dublin 6 area the place of the Million + houses! I can go to a park in Tallaght Dublin 24 and you won’t see the locals leaving that amount of rubbish behind them because they have pride in the community. But in Milltown park it’s the old thing of (we have money) we pay the council to collect our rubbish. Just leave it there somebody else will pick it up. Now I’m not saying everyone has that mind set in Dublin 6 or any other part of Dublin or the country but it is there unfortunately.
@Brian Kelly: in most council states they just let their dog poop in the grass, in well to do estates they pick it up in a bag then slyly launch it into the bushes when noones looking, I agree on the privilege see a lot of the Blackrock college boys down the coast and the rubbish they leave behind is atrocious
@Alan Watts: that’s true!
@Brian Kelly: you are so wrong, does that chip on your shoulder come with vinegar?
A new approach has to be taking to the scourge of dumping. The sheer numbers of people who think it’s ok to dump their mess on the side of a road is unbelievable. How about a minimum rather than a maximum fine with more covert surveillance in dumping hotspots. If the Data Protection Commissioner has a problem with this then a work around solution is required. How it’s considered an invasion of individual privacy while doing something illegal is a ludicrous situation.A clampdown on companies offering to take away household items cheaply needs to be looked at and people need to stop using them.
@Anto Harris: Just basic good manners it what they need to be thought. Bring your rubbish with you to a bin. It’s a very simple task that any kid, teen and adult can do!
@Brian Kelly: Maybe you could teach them seeing as your grammar and spelling is so good!?
Throw bigger bins in the park, I’m sure people would fill them.
@Seosamh: “Can’t someone else do it?”
The scrøtes that do this won’t care if there’s a bin every 6 feet, they’ll still leave it behind them.
@Seosamh: problem there is people bring domestic rubbish from their house. I think that’s why there are so few bins, ironically.
Can’t get over that first picture; what an absolute disgrace. Would make you despair.
I live right beside the park and it was a disgrace the amount of rubbish they left behind. Having said that, one of the bigger issues is the lack of bins. Not one bin in that park. I’m sure if bigger bins were around people would fill them. Added most bins in Dublin aren’t emptied on a regular basis is another huge problem.
@Lloyd Murphy: Or people could just take their rubbish home and dispose of properly.
How were these people raised that they find this acceptable? It’s infuriating and heartbreaking to know that this country is full of people who don’t give a damn about it. It’s getting worse year on year too.
Anti-mask types no doubt.
It’s linked to unsuccessful – euphemism, could use a load of stronger words here – privatisation of the bin collection services.
@Ruth Mannion: no, it’s solely linked to filthy, lazy, selfish, half wits.
clearly we need to do better – before just jumping and down at the people causing this – who are mostly just idiots – i do think we should expect the council to leap forward into the 21st century and take a root and branch reform and re-look at all the legacy systems and services which evolved from a different era –
a couple of suggestions
Have a look at how other modern cities invest in providing improved equipment and effort into their cleaning – lived in sydney and was impressed with the power washing teams cleaning the streets – much better equipped / mobile cleaning workers
We have seemingly reduced the number proper litter bins over the years not increased them ( in an attempt to prevent people using public bins for their rubbish ) – it is honestly a joke how many times when you are out and about in Dublin and you want to seek out a bin how rare they are – and the ones that do exist are poorly maintained and poorly serviced –
I agree the issue here is behavioural and trying to change people’s habits will take some time – but we really wont make any progress if we cannot take the lead with our public services ( councils ) and ask for a step change to the whole approach to cleaning services in Ireland
@Dave Hammond: i’ve seen similar street washing in Barcelona & Lyon. They are a great idea but I’m sure Dub city co. would counter that they can’t afford it. Not with a disastrous homelessness problem.
@Dave Hammond: 30 years ago we brought our rubbish home, leave no trace thats what i was taught.
Not a solitary bin in my park. I don’t deem this as an excuse but the ignoramus that causes litter is normally a challenged “dope” that has no sense of community. Ya no war I meen??
An area full of mostly middle and upper class. If this was in one of the so called lower class inner city areas it would be all over the front pages
People will continue to do this as long as there is someone going to clean it up after them. Leave the rubbish there, Let the rats into it, see how the people react the next time they come to the park and see all the rubbish they left from the last time.
Who drinks Bud?
@Marc: Urban olympians.
this just shows what animals were raised since 1995, servants cleaning up after kids ,lazy obese generations of pigs in computer bedrooms, served food all day. and dirty humans. i have seen this getting worse, we are just letting people get away with it. i always shout at people who dump rubbish. AND people laugh at me.
@Matty J Molloy: I don’t agree with your statement. My son is nearly 9 and he has been taught how bad it is to litter from an early age. That’s because I was taught the same thing by my parents. A lot of his friends will litter no problem, despite him and me telling them not to. I’ve told the kids before to put their rubbish in the black bin in my garden, but when I’m not there they don’t. Also last year on a day out with my son, a friend of mine and her kids, we went to the local park. We brought some drinks and sweets for them and got take away coffee for us at the shop. When it was time to leave she was leaving all her rubbish there at the park, which disgusted me and explains why her kids litter. Obviously I didn’t leave it behind, I picked it all up and carried it until I found a bin
Bring back flogging.
Awful
No harm
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