The environment/community initiative, the Pure Mile, which encourages communities and groups to adopt a mile of road, or miles of road, and work together to keep these areas litter and rubbish free have removed over 3,000 bags of litter and rubbish from Wicklow/Dublin uplands in the first six months of 2022. The Pure Truck has removed over 75 tonnes, (75,000kg) of illegal dumping and rubbish from Wicklow/Dublin uplands in the first six months of 2022, with a considerable amount of this litter and rubbish collected by Pure Mile Volunteers from hundreds of roads, verges, drains and ditches from the Wicklow/Dublin uplands. There are now over 800 miles of roads, mountains, woodlands, valleys, forestries, and upland amenities, signed up to the 2022 Pure Mile Project, the largest number ever since the project began in 2010.
Over 1,000 litter picks/clean-ups, undertaken by Pure Mile Groups have already taken place this year, with over 3,000 bags of litter, rubbish, and dumping, removed from the Wicklow/Dublin upland environment, all by thousands of Pure Mile Volunteers. In some instances, recent clean-ups by Pure Mile groups resulted in the collection of over 100 bags of rubbish from just one area. Other discarded material included, tyres, batteries, mattresses, radios, hovers, TV’s, cables, piping, furniture, chairs, bed frames, building materials, toys, prams, suitcases, buckets, bikes, and much more, with each Pure Mile clean-up making a huge difference to the Wicklow/Dublin environment. Pure Mile groups are also contacting Pure to report illegal dumping sites that they locate on the landscape during their litter picks, and Pure are collaborating with Wicklow County Council, South Dublin County Council, and Dun-Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, to investigate sites for evidence prior to Pure Truck removal.
Pure have also been working with Walking Groups, Hiking Groups, Cycling Groups and Businesses, who have adopted areas in the Wicklow Mountains National Park located in the South Dublin Uplands. A number of litter picks and cleanups have already taken place this year and the groups are transforming this environmentally sensitive area, an area which attracts thousands of visitors annually.
Ian Davis, manager of Pure commented ‘The Pure Mile was established in 2010 and the project has grown from 5 miles to over 800 miles. With Covid-19 we saw an increase in people reconnecting with the area they live in, walking their local roads, rediscovering their natural environment, and becoming aware of the amount of litter and rubbish on roadside verges, hedges, and drains. This increased registration to the Pure Mile Project and a considerable number of these Pure Mile groups have continued with the project and they are now contacting us every day to organise litter picks and clean-ups. The Pure Truck has been extremely busy collecting the rubbish on a daily basis, ensuring that no bags are left on the landscape. It’s amazing the amount of litter and rubbish the Pure Mile Volunteers are removing, and I would like to thank all of them and congratulate them for their dedication in Cleaning Up The Wicklow/Dublin Uplands.’
Pure are continuing to support all of the Pure Mile Groups with further litter picks, clean-ups, anti-dumping initiatives, community projects, biodiversity and heritage projects, which are ongoing throughout the year. Pure provide all groups with Pure Mile signage, Pure Mile bags, Pure Mile high-vis vests, gloves, litter pickers, and the Pure Truck removes all of the rubbish collected by the groups. Pure is a partnership project and the first of its kind in Ireland which incorporates statutory and non-statutory organisations, including; Department of Environment, Climate, and Communications, Wicklow County Council, South Dublin County Council, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, Coillte, National Parks & Wildlife Service, and the Wicklow Uplands Council. Pure was established to combat illegal dumping/fly-tipping in the Wicklow/Dublin Uplands. The project was officially launched in September 2006.
TO REPORT DUMPERS AND DUMPING lo–call 1800 365 123
