Limerick County Council has reported a rise in the number of people calling its freephone litter line. An estimated 1,200 phone calls were received in 2011 and this year the Council says it is hoping to encourage even greater numbers of people to report incidences of litter in their local community.
The figures were released to coincide with the launch of a number of new items aimed at promoting litter awareness throughout Limerick. 1,000 reusable shopping bags and thousands of other litter awareness items, including car stickers, tax disc holders and car litter bags have been distributed to members of the public at the Crescent Shopping Centre in Dooradoyle.
The free reusable shopping bags were distributed as part of the Council’s campaign for ‘Limerick Against Litter’. The shopping bags carry the slogan ‘Limerick Against Litter’ together with the Council’s freephone litter line. The initiative at the Crescent Shopping Centre is one in a series of ongoing anti-litter campaigns by the local authority to raise awareness of the importance of keeping County Limerick free of litter.
“The fact that the litter line received in excess of 1,200 phone calls during 2011 is very encouraging as it shows that members of the public across Limerick are becoming increasingly aware of the damaging effect of litter on the appearance of our communities,” explains Mary Killeen Fitzgerald, administrative officer at Limerick County Council. “The ‘Limerick Against Litter’ campaign will feature a number of other public events in the coming months including fairs, shows, and the annual National Spring Clean campaign. Each event will be specifically designed to ensure that the anti-litter message is widely publicised to all sectors of the community in the county.”