"Strong performance" by Athlone in latest IBAL litter league

Several sites across Athlone, most notably Main Street, just missed the top litter grade in the latest nationwide survey by business group, Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL), which resulted in the town being ranked at number 22 from a field of 40 towns and cities surveyed.

Although Athlone retained its status as 'clean to European norms' and the 22nd place ranking was deemed to be “a good performance” the survey sees a drop in the town's showing from 16th place in the final survey of 2022 and from 18th place in 2021.

Over 90% of the towns surveyed nationwide were deemed clean, compared with just 28% of city areas. Maynooth was to be the cleanest town in Ireland and Dundalk, which was described as “seriously littered” was at the bottom of the table.

10 sites in Athlone were surveyed by An Taisce, who carry out the survey on behalf of IBAL, with just three of them achieving a Grade A, Athlone GAA Club grounds; The apartment block at Sr. Bernard Quay and Athlone train station.

The survey praised the lovely “olde style signage” at the train station and also singled out the covered bicycle parking areas and the litter bins for special mention. “All elements were in very good order and it was excellent with regard to litter.”

There was “a virtual absence of litter” at what was described as “an extensive residental development” at Sr. Bernard Quay and planted areas were “in good order” while Athlone GAA Club grounds was also found to be virtually free of litter despite being an extensive site. “The area has been enhanced by colourful wall murals” the survey noted, while adding that the grounds were “very much deserving of the top litter grade.

The site in Athlone found to have improved most was the Athlone Recycle Centre on Ceannt Road which achieved a Grade B+. Described as a “hugely improved site” compared to some years ago when it was consistently found to be heavily littered, the IBAL results show that the main litter issues are “still in the perimeter shrubbery.”

Athlone Castle also achieved a Grade B+ ranking with the survey report noting that there were “just too many small pieces of litter” around the Castle entrance for it to achieve “its typical Grade A status.” The report did add that the built environment around Athlone Castle was “in good order” including paving, bollards, street lamps and attractive signage.

Another Grade B+ went to the N55 Glasson aproach road into Athlone which was found to be “well presented” but was let down by the presence of plastic bags, fast food wrappers and sweet papers. While the outer stretch of the road was found to be well tended and maintained, the report noted that the inner stretch was “less well so.”

The presence of coffee cups and sweet wrappers, along with cigarette butts in the empty planter boxes on Main Street resulted in it missing out on a Grade A in the latest litter survey, with the report stating that “a little extra effort” could result in the street achieving the top grade. “Attractive paving underfoot presented well” on Main Street.

A variety of food related items, face masks, paper bags and clothing all served to spoil an “otherwise well-presented environment” on the R914/R915 approach road into Athlone, which achieved a Grade B. The report did, however, praised the good paving and planting on the roundabout and the 'Welcome to Athlone' sign carved out the shrubbery in this area of the Athlone.

Also achieving a Grade B was Sr. Bernard Quay which was found to have “heavy levels” of cigarette butts, and lower levels of dog fouling and sweet papers which “took away from the very pleasant riverside walk.” The IBAL report noted an absence of visible litter bins/cigarette disposal units, and said the base of the tree planters were being used for the disposal of litter.

A “definite litter presence” on the R916 approach road into Athlone, which was not just food related, but also included plastic wrap and cardboard, contributed to a Grade B ranking for the area. Some of the items were descibed as “long-lie” such as squashed cardboard box/plastic wrapped in tree, indicating “a lack of thorough cleaning for quite some time” according to the IBAL report.

Overall, the judges said the latest IBAL survey was “a strong performance” for Athlone with “no seriously littered areas” and they noted the “big improvements” at the Recycle Centre. They also stated that extra efforts on Main Street, around the environs of Athlone Castle and on the N55 Glasson approach road into the town could result in all three areas achieving the top litter grade in future surveys.

As part of the IBAL Anti-Litter League, which was established in 1996, An Taice monitors towns and cities independently, and in accordance with international grading standards.

The latest survey shows that while PPE litter is disappearing in line with the end of the Covid pandemic, vaping devices were included as a litter type for the first time and were evidence in 6% of sites. Disposable coffee cups continue to be a problem and were found in 20% of sites, prompting IBAL to call for the speedy introduction of a coffee cup levy.

The survey also found an increase in cigarette butt litter, and IBAL has also expressed concerns about the presence of large amounts of litter in Dublin city centre and on the north side of the city and also in Cork city centre.