Cork County Council recognises the role of communities in the fight against litter

Volunteers attired in high viz jackets and gloves, armed with litter pickers and bags, often active in early morning and late evening, are a regular sight on our roadsides and streets these days. These tireless individuals devote long hours to keeping our environment clean by picking litter discarded by others. Their work was recognised by Cork County Council at its recent Anti-Litter Challenge awards, held at County Hall on Monday September 23rd and attended by over 140 community representatives from towns and villages across the county. 

The competition originated in the 1990s and brings an element of friendly inter-community competition to the ongoing problem of dealing with litter. Twenty towns and sixty-six villages across Cork entered in 2024 and their streets, footpaths and roads were judged over six weeks in May and June. Each place that entered was scored based on the presence of litter and those with the highest scores received special recognition and a coveted ‘county title. 

Deputy Mayor of Cork County, Cllr. Martin Coughlan welcomed all those in attendance and praised the massive voluntary effort which is the cornerstone of the Anti-Litter Challenge. He said,   
 

Deputy Mayor, Cllr. Martin Coughlan emphasised that supporting communities in their endeavours would continue to be central to the Council’s work. 

Chief Executive of Cork County Council Moira Murrell endorsed the Deputy Mayor’s comments and said 

The winners were announced in the various categories, details of which had been a closely guarded secret up to that point. While the Anti-Litter Challenge is competitive in nature, the Council acknowledges the hard work and dedication of all those who participated. The result is that all towns and villages were cleaner.