Over 400 groups joined the National Spring Clean

The National Spring Clean is Ireland’s official anti-litter campaign and over the past 24 years, the initiative has been highlighted the collective responsibility we share in tackling and preventing our national litter problem.

National Spring Clean is 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 and Mars Wrigley Ireland.

Throughout the month of April, the National Spring Clean encouraged communities from across Ireland to tackle the problem of litter in local areas and to see the benefits of a litter-free environment.

This year over 400 Dublin groups registered to carry out clean-ups throughout the county making Spring Clean 23 one of Ireland’s largest antilitter campaign to date.

Over 15,000 volunteers joined Spring Clean 23 in County Dublin removing an estimated 85 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! A mong the groups who joined the National Spring Clean this year, Tallaght Community Council hosted several cleanups throughout the months of March and April, collecting an average of 10 bags of litter for each clean-up. Among the common litter items found, the group noticed an increase in smocking related litter, particularly vape waste materials.

Balbriggan Tidy Towns hosted their National Spring Clean event at the start of April, and since then they have been out every Saturday at 11am and are asking the local community to join them.

Among the most common litter items found by this group there were drinking cans, that the group cleaned and recycled, in line with this year’s National Spring Clean focus on circular economy.

Finally, volunteers from Stoneybatter Pride of Place also hosted a clean-up on March 26th as part of the National Spring Clean, removing a considerable amount of litter from the area. Moreover, the group planted pollinators in the area, to help with biodiversity. In addition to cleanups that had already been organised, over 80 groups and communities all across Dublin joined forces Dublin’s Four Local Authorities, Clean Coasts, National Spring Clean, Local Authority Waters Programme, Waterways Ireland, Dublin City Canals, Dodder Action, residents, volunteers, and community groups county-wide for the Dublin Community Cleanup on 22nd April.

National Spring Clean 2023 has been an amazing opportunity for communities in Dublin and nationwide 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 aim for National Spring Clean was also to raised awareness about how the adoption of a circular economy model, will reduce our litter, and climate impact, meaning that as we transition to a more circular economy, we’ll see less waste, less litter, and lower emissions, and thus, cleaner planet.