Over 100 groups from Donegal have helped to make the national #SpringClean22 Ireland’s largest anti-litter campaign to date.
The National Spring Clean is Ireland’s official anti-litter campaign and over the past 23 years, operated by the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce in partnership with Local Authorities and supported by the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment & Mars Wrigley Ireland.
This year, the campaign returned to its usual month long clean up after 2 years of restricted clean-ups due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Almost 3,500 Donegal volunteers have participated in organised clean-ups throughout the county.
Nationwide, volunteers collected an estimated 2,800 tonnes of litter. Furthermore, National Spring Clean has been a starting point for a large number of groups to organise regular clean-up events all year long!
Cully Hall Committee, Cully, outside Donegal Town, Donegal, 25.4.22
National Spring Clean 2022 has been an amazing opportunity for communities to come together and do their bit for their local environment, contribute to creating a more sustainable community, be with like-minded people and make a difference.
This year the theme of community pride was at the forefront of the campaign with The National Spring Clean urging people of all ages to gather friends, family, classmates, neighbors or colleagues to unite in cleaning their shared green spaces together.
Even though April is coming to an end, there are plenty of campaigns and activities that The National Spring Clean run and endorse that you can get involved in. A few of these include:
• When you are out for a walk, visiting a park or a beach, do a quick #2minutestreetclean or a #2minutebeachclean
• Avoid single-use plastic when possible, by choosing more sustainable alternatives, such as reusable bottles and coffee cups, cotton bags, metal straws, etc…
• Don’t litter and if a bin is overflowing, keep your waste until you find a waste to dispose of it properly
• If you can’t reduce or reuse, recycle; know where and how to recycle all types of waste.
• Recent statistics show that, in Ireland, discarded cigarette butts make up for 60% of litter on the streets. Always bin your butt!
• Make sure to bin your chewing gum when you’re done to avoid a €150 gum littering fine and keep our streets clean!
