Walking Group Remove Over 1,500kgs of Rubbish From the Wicklow/Dublin Uplands

A recent litter pick and clean up by the Glencree Walking Group in the beautiful scenic Wicklow/Dublin uplands, all the way from Killakee Car Park in South Dublin to the Sally Gap Crossroads in Wicklow, resulted in the removal of over 200 bags of rubbish and over 1,500kgs of waste.  The majority of the litter encountered on the day was all recyclable, consisting of glass and cans, all discarded on this beautiful upland environment. Other items included material from household renovations, tyres, car bumpers, tiling, flooring, as well as a considerable amount of domestic waste. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, Pure were unable to organise their regular cleanups of the South Dublin Mountains, and this recent litter pick was the first one of 2021.  The Glencree Walking Group have been involved in the Pure Mile, Cleanup The Uplands Project, for a number of years now, and all of their dedicated volunteers were delighted to be Back On The Hills.  The groups first cleanup of the uplands in 2017 resulted in the removal of hundreds of bags of litter with over 3,000kg of illegal dumping collected on the day. 

Ian Davis, Pure Manager commented, ‘The Wicklow/Dublin Uplands is a unique landscape and environment, attracting thousands of visitors annually.  It is also worth noting that this landscape is of environmental significance, and part of the Wicklow Mountains National Park and on The Dublin Mountains Way.  It’s an area of both Irish and European significance and protected under the European Habitats Directive as a Special Area of Conservation.  I would like to thank all of The Glencree Walking Group Pure Mile Volunteers for their continued dedication and support in assisting Pure to Clean Up The Uplands.

Although Pure has removed over 3,500 tonnes (3,500,000 kg) of illegal dumping from this beautiful scenic landscape, they only have one truck and one driver, and unfortunately, they are unable to remove the unsightly small-scale litter.  The Glencree Walking Group Pure Mile clean-up makes a huge difference to the appearance to the South Dublin Uplands, and Pure are currently organising other cleanups of upland roads, mountain trails, woodlands and forestries. Pure supply all Pure Mile Volunteers with Pure Mile bags, litter pickers, gloves, Pure Mile high-vis jackets, and the Pure Truck removes all of rubbish gathered by groups. 

Further information on Pure can be found on www.pureproject.ie. TO REPORT DUMPERS AND DUMPING lo–call 1850 365 121