Litter Pollution

Litter and the Law
The Litter Pollution Acts 1997 to 2009 provide the statutory framework for the prevention and control of litter pollution, the prevention of the defacement of certain places and other related matters. Under these Acts the primary responsibility for the management and prevention of litter is with the local authorities who are required to investigate instances of littering in their respective areas and take the appropriate corrective action. Litter pollution is the most visible sign of environmental pollution and detracts from the appearance of otherwise attractive areas in our town.
Continued economic success especially in the areas of tourism, food and direct foreign investment depends on a clean litter –free environment and therefore requires not only input from local authorities but also from each individual, community and business in the locality.

National Litter Monitoring System
The National Litter Monitoring System was developed by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and Tobin Consulting Engineers in consultation with the Local Authorities. The system provides an accurate picture of litter pollution on a countrywide basis and measures changes over time.
Under the System local authorities are required to carry out a number of surveys annually to ascertain the extent, composition and location of litter pollution in their areas. There are two different types of Survey carried out annually. The first one is the Litter Pollution survey to determine the extent and severity of litter pollution. The results of which are expressed as a litter pollution index depending on the severity of the littering. The second Survey is the Litter Quantification Survey which is used to identify the actual composition (type and origin) of litter pollution in the particular area surveyed.

Fines

Leaving or throwing litter in a public place is an offence which can be subject to an on-the-spot fine of €125 or a maximum fine of €3,000 in court. The definition of litter is quite wide and extends beyond casual pieces of paper or cigarette ends to anything large or small which is, or is likely to become, unsightly.
A person convicted of a litter offence may also be required by the court to pay the local authority's costs and expenses in investigating the offence and bringing the prosecution.
The owner or occupier of property which can be seen from a public place is obliged to keep it free of litter. Basically, any outdoor area on your property that is visible from a public place must be kept free of litter.

Illegal Dumping

The litter laws have increased the powers of local authorities to combat the problem of illegal dumping of refuse and rubbish. Where a local authority finds material that is illegally dumped and establishes the identity of the owner of the material, that person will have a case to answer without necessarily having to be caught in the act.
Extra powers are also available to local authorities to require a householder or business operator to indicate how and where they are disposing of their waste. This is particularly relevant if the householder or business owner is not availing of a refuse collection service or bringing their waste to an authorised disposal facility.

Dog owners must now remove their pets' waste from public places and dispose of it in a proper manner. This obligation applies to the following places:
- public roads and footpaths
- areas around shopping centres
- school/sports grounds- beaches
- the immediate area surrounding another person's house.
Tralee Town Council has arranged for pooper scoopers to be distributed to various outlets in the Town including Veterinary clinics, supermarkets and some public offices in the Town including the Town Hall.

Posters and Signs
The law 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 of the pole or other structure in advance of putting up the posters/signs.

Advertising Flyers
The placing of advertising leaflets on car windscreens is prohibited and if you are proposing to distribute advertising leaflets in the street, you should first check with the local authority to see if they have introduced any local litter restrictions, which they are entitled to do.

Presenting your refuse for collection
Taking a few small precautions in the way you present your refuse for collection will help enormously in preventing the creation of litter. If you are not already using a wheelie-bin or ordinary refuse bin, you should use strong plastic bags and avoid using lightweight supermarket type bags. You should put out refuse for collection on the morning of the collection and not on the day or night before. The longer it is left out for collection the more likely it is to attract the unwanted attention of dogs, cats and birds.

It is an offence to dispose of your household refuse in street litter bins.

Local authority duties:

Litter Management Plans
Section 10 of the Litter Pollution Act 1997 requires that all local authorities prepare and adopt a Litter Management Plan with a view to developing a more structured and planned approach to litter management. The Plan details the measures currently in place and also proposed measures in relation to litter prevention and control within the lifetime of the Plan. Tralee Town Council is currently preparing a Draft Litter Management Plan which will shortly be available for public consultation. The Public will be invited to make submissions on the Draft Plan and these will be considered prior the adoption of the Plan.

Litter Control
They are responsible for keeping public places under their control, including public roads, clear of litter as far as is practicably possible. This includes the arrangement of cleansing programmes and the provision and emptying of litter bins.

Tidy Towns
Litter will lose a town/village vital marks in the Tidy Town Competition. If you live in the Town you have a part to play in this competition. Consider how you can help. Don't just leave it to others. Remember, if you really have no time to spare to work with your Tidy Towns Committee, then your efforts to maintain your own premises litter free will help their efforts to keep your community more environmentally friendly for all to enjoy.
Each year Tralee Tidy Towns Committee concentrates on a project in a specific location in the town with a view to either arranging a clean up/litter pick or  organising planting.
Over the past five years Tralee has recorded the largest increase in marks of any town or village in Ireland in the National Tidy Towns Competition. Tralee Town have won a Silver medal in the Large Urban Area Category in 2007, 2008 and 2009.
Tralee Town Council acknowledges the valuable role that community groups play in enhancing their local areas and will facilitate all efforts in relation to litter prevention and control.

For further information
Contact your local authority, they are responsible for litter control in your area and will be able to advise you on your duties and obligations under the litter laws.

Contact Information:
Environment Section
Tralee Town Council
Town Hall
Princes Quay
Tralee Co Kerry
Freefone 1800 201 059
E-mail address: environ@traleetc.ie