There is a “noticeable” increase in litter on beaches during the fine weather, according to those who are part of clean-up operations.
Just before 5am on Burrow beach in Sutton in north Dublin, several Fingal County Council workers arrived to begin combing the popular beach and pick up the rubbish.
The items left behind included bottles, nappies and towels. Joe Rock, a chargehand at Fingal County Council who organises the crews for the clean-up operations on this beach, said the situation is dreadful.
He said people leaving behind food and plastic bottles is a regular occurrence and this problem is exacerbated when the sun is shining and crowds swarm to coastal areas.
“People just don’t use the bins. They don’t even think about what they are leaving behind.”
“You can get anything from flip flops to cans and bottles,” he said as he described what they see being left behind on the beach. “We are providing the bins, just use them,” he said.
This morning the bins on this beach were half full while a lot of litter and other items were visible across the sand.
Mr Rock also warned of the issue with barbecues and how people should bring them home to dispose of them, as if they are put into the public bins it can pose a risk of them going on fire.
Clean up started at sunrise here just before 5am and included a JCB and a tractor with a beach rake. The crews finished at around 7:45am.
Several early morning walkers regularly help with picking up plastics to try and keep their environment “clean” and “safe” for others as well as the birds and sea life. Many locals expressed concern about the impact of plastics being left behind and being washed into the sea.One man said he finds so many buckets and spades that he “could open a shop”. ” It’s shocking,” he said.
A woman who comes to this beach often said while it is great to see the work being done by council workers to clean up busy beaches, it should ultimately be down to people to tidy up after themselves and set that example for their children also.
Another local resident said she believes there needs to be tougher action taken to address the problem.
Local authorities are responsible for keeping public places in their area clear of litter and can impose fines. Leaving or throwing litter is an offence with on the spot fines of €150. However, many question how often such fines are imposed in these settings.
