13.01.12 - IBAL Anti Litter League 2011
Trim was recognised as the cleanest town in Ireland at a ceremony in Dublin, piping Swords and Killarney in the 2011 Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) survey of litter levels in fifty-three towns and cities.
Both were among thirty-eight towns acknowledged as “Clean to European Norms”.
This was the first time that Trim, which has been litter free since 2005, has won the IBAL Litter League.
Trim was one of nine towns to collect a “Sustained Excellence” award for being litter free for five years in a row, the others being Cavan, Killarney, Castlebar, Monaghan, Youghal, Fermoy, Ballina and Dundalk.
An Taisce, who conduct the litter surveys, commented in its report on Trim, “The hard work has paid off and the citizens should appreciate what has been achieved. All sites surveyed got the top litter grade. The approach routes were particularly well presented and this very high standard was sustained for all sites surveyed in Trim.”
To mark its success, the town will receive a number of trees for planting locally. These are provided by the Irish Tree Centre, an IBAL member based in County Cork (www.treecentre.ie).
Prof. Dr Elke Arendt of University City College Cork spoke of advancements made in degradable chewing gum at the ceremony. The difference between degradable and conventional chewing gum is that degradable gum decomposes when deposited on pavements. IBAL Chairman Dr Tom Cavanagh spoke of such a breakthrough as “a potentially critical milestone in urban litter prevention and one that needs to be accelerated by a favourable tax policy, be it a tax exemption on the degradable product or a higher tax on conventional gum.”
For more information about Irish Business Against Litter and the full list of results, please visit www.ibal.ie.
Pictured from left to right: Anthony Conlon, Trim Town Foreman; Councillor James O’Shea, Cathaoirleach, Trim Town Council; Brian Heffernan, Trim Tidy Towns and Chamber of Commerce; Tom Cavanagh, Chairman IBAL; Minister Phil Hogan T.D., Department of Environment, Community and Local Government; Ray Butler T.D. (Trim); Brian Murphy, Trim Town Clerk and Des Foley, Trim Town Manager.
