Clare County Council, in association with An Taisce, is urging people in every corner of Clare to get involved in cleaning up the county as part of the 21st annual National Spring Clean Campaign.
Sports clubs, Tidy Towns organisations, businesses, schools, community development groups and residents associations are being invited to come together during April to undertake clean up their local areas.
National Spring Clean has grown from strength to strength over the last number of years with over half a million people taking part. Last year, 188 local community groups in Clare registered for the National Spring Clean.
Cllr. Joe Cooney, Chair of Clare County Council’s Physical Development SPC, commented, “I am urging as many local groups, schools and businesses as possible to get involved in the Spring Clean campaign. There are festivals and events taking place every month all over the county and with the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open coming to Lahinch in July it is important that Clare looks its best for the thousands of people who will be visiting. The Easter break provides an opportune time for individuals, families and businesses to get involved in local clean-ups.”
Carmel Kirby, Director of Physical Development, Clare County Council, said, “Volunteers all over the county are doing great work throughout the year to keep their areas clean. We’re calling on more volunteers to come out and assist their Tidy Towns or local community group or indeed to organise their own community clean-up”.
According to Karen Foley, Environmental Awareness Officer with Clare County Council, The Environment Section of Clare County Council is assisting community groups and schools who register for the Spring Clean campaign by providing them with a free pass to Waste Transfer Stations/Waste Management Facility at Scariff and Lisdeen and the Central Waste Management Facility in Inagh.
She added, “Clare County Council will further support local clean groups during the month of April through the provision of a Greener Clare pack which can include gloves, bags and hi-vis vests. These will be made available at all Municipal District offices – in Kilrush, Ennistymon, Shannon, Ennis and Scariff. Litter pickers will also be available for loan at all Municipal District Offices.”
Participating groups are being reminded to separate recyclables during clean-ups. Groups are reminded that while waste from public area clean-ups will be accepted with this pass, while private household waste will not be accepted with the pass. Details will be issued to groups who must first register on www.nationalspringclean.org or by calling the National Spring Clean hotline on (01) 4002219.
Once registered, An Taisce will issue groups/individuals with a free clean up kit(s), which contains important information, posters, colour-coded refuse sacks for segregation of waste materials, protective gloves and tabards to keep participants safe and clean.