Every April, for the past 22 years, the National Spring Clean has been working with communities around the country to tackle litter in local areas and enjoy the benefits of a litter-free environment. By participating in organised clean-ups, groups and individuals come together to act locally to make a meaningful contribution not only in their own community, but for the country as a whole.
However, in March 2020,An Taisce’sNational Spring Clean asked volunteers around Ireland to postpone any clean-ups until further notice, due to current Covid-19 crisis.
On 8th of June National Spring Clean announced the resumption of the campaign and asked volunteers who wish to get involved and do their bit for the environment to follow updated health and safety guidelines. Last year there were over 430 clean-ups organized in Dublin and this year we are heading back towards that number. Many Spring Clean clean-up events have already taken place, with lots more planned for the coming weeks.
The weekend of the 13th- 14th June, the Litter Mugs volunteer group removed over 100 bags of litter from the River Dodder, 42 bags and several larger items from the riverbank at Milltown and another 55 bags of litter in Tallaght. The community of Esker Wood Residents’ Association, in Lucan, held their first National Spring Clean in over 10 years, and 60 adults and 10 kids took turns to clean-up the surrounding areas while maintaining social distance.
If you want to get involved in the National Spring Clean, register at www.nationalspringclean.org to receive your free clean-up kit and consult the new Health & Safety Guidelines.
