Don’t Stump It – Bin It!
Do you know that cigarettes butts and chewing gum are the main items of littering on the streets of Ireland? The 2015 National Litter Pollution Report, released today, reveals that “cigarette related litter, continues to constitute the highest percentage (59.76%) of litter nationally, an increase of 5.13% on 2014 figures – this is comprised mainly of cigarette ends which constitute 55.38% of all litter items”. In the food related litter category chewing gum comprises 11.24% of all litter recorded.
“While the Litter Pollution Report demonstrates year on year that Ireland is improving its environment with respect to litter, it is imperative that people play their part in keeping their road, neighbourhood and country litter free, or reducing the litter problem where it exists.
It is about having pride in our communities and taking personal responsibility for our actions,” Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Denis Naughten, T.D. said announcing the report today.
Though cigarette ends on our roads and walkways are on the increase, food related litter, the second largest category of litter pollution, is decreasing. Packaging litter has also decreased by 0.47% since 2014 and is the third largest component of national litter recorded.
The Minister also announced a Nationwide Schools’ Campaign called ‘Bin It!’ today: “While my department provides funding for various initiatives, including the annual An Taisce National Spring Clean, it is the efforts made by local authorities, community and business groups which are telling at local level.
Today I am launching a Nationwide Schools’ Campaign called ‘Bin It!’ to educate and raise student awareness of littering. ‘Bin It!’ is a key element of the Gun Litter Taskforce (GLT) education campaign which includes outdoor poster, TV and online advertising.”
The ‘Bin It!’ campaign has been running for the last ten years and over 39,218 students have taken part in the campaign up to date. The main causes of litter indicated by the report was passing pedestrians (40.1%), passing motorists (18.1%), retail outlets (10.4%), gathering points (7.9%), schools/school children (5.3%) and places of leisure and entertainment (5.1%).
The main reasons for cigarette ends and chewing gum becoming such a big problem is the lack of control. There is nothing indicating on the streets that it is illegal to stump out a cigarette on the pavement or drop your gum wherever you want to.
There is not enough places to dispose of these types of litter items. In order to solve this problem, awareness needs to be created. Posters and more ashtrays and bins need to be added to the environment. Campaigns like ‘Bin It!’ is one way of creating awareness, but this is at school level, and cigarette smoking is more so an adult activity.
Something needs to be done about reminding adults that they need to hold on to that butt until they get to the next bin!
Hashtags: #BinItCampaign 
