Minister Dillon publishes 2024 National Litter Pollution Monitoring System results

Minister of State with responsibility for the Circular Economy, Alan Dillon today announced the publication of the 2024 National Litter Pollution Monitoring System (NLPMS) results, which provide key insights into the extent and composition of litter across Ireland. These findings support local authorities in managing litter pollution more effectively and strategically.

Announcing the results, Minister Dillon said:

In 2024, 5,579 Litter Pollution Surveys (LPS) were undertaken nationally. The NLPMS results for 2024 indicate that:

• 19.2% of areas surveyed in 2024 were unpolluted (LPI 1), a decrease of 2.3% from 2023 (21.5%)
• 59.8% of all areas surveyed in 2024 were slightly polluted (LPI 2), an increase of 3% from 2023 (56.8%)
• 17.4% of all areas surveyed in 2024 were moderately polluted areas (LPI 3), an increase of 1.9% on 2023 (15.5%)
• 3% of all areas surveyed in 2024 were significantly polluted areas (LPI 4), a decrease of 2.8% from 2023 (5.8%)
• 0.6% of all areas surveyed in 2024 were grossly polluted areas (LPI 5), an increase of 0.1% from 2023 (0.5%)

The NLPMS results indicate that, in 2024, passing pedestrians continue to be the main cause of litter pollution. However, there has been a decrease in the quantity of litter pollution attributed to this group. A decrease of 2.9% on 2023 (42.3%) to 39.4% was seen in 2024.

The report shows that in 2024 the top 2 constituent elements of litter pollution remain as they were in 2023, with cigarette ends and chewing gum litter the most represented constituent items.

Cigarette ends continue to be the largest component of litter nationally in 2024.

As per the Single Use Plastics Regulations, from 5 January 2023, all producers who place tobacco filter products containing plastic on the Irish market are required to be members of an extended producer responsibility (EPR) scheme and contribute to the cost of cleaning up litter arising from their products. The approved EPR for tobacco products is the Tobacco Product Plastic Filter Group (TPPFG) – www.tffpg.ie. Litter contributions are collected from individual producer members by the EPR scheme for payment to the Minister.

Contributions are payable by the EPR annually in arrears to the Minister. The TPPFG's contribution towards litter clean-up costs for 2023 amounted to €248,264 and this was received by the Minister in 2024. Revenue raised will be ring fenced to contribute to measures on litter prevention and clean up.

Other measures being taken to combat some of the most prevalent forms of litter include:

• the Circular Economy and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, which was enacted in mid-2022, provided for the GDPR-compliant use of a range of technologies, such as CCTV for litter enforcement purposes
• the introduction of the Deposit Return Scheme on 1 February 2024 has contributed to the reduction of litter, it is an efficient way of combating the impact of single-use drinks bottles and cans
• other Extended Producer Responsibility schemes will be established for single use items such as wet wipes, balloons, and fishing gear containing plastic, in addition to the existing schemes for tobacco filters and packaging
• the Gum Litter Taskforce, established in 2007 as a collaboration between Food Drink Ireland, the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, the chewing gum industry, and local authorities, continues to deliver positive results through its education and awareness campaigns, with chewing gum litter reducing by 1.7% from 9% in 2023

As well as the various Extended Producer Responsibility Schemes which the department is establishing, the department also continues to promote and support environmental awareness raising programmes, including the Green Schools Programme aimed at educating young people, PURE programme run by Wicklow County Council and Anti-Litter and Anti-Graffiti Grants Schemes for local communities operated by local authorities. In addition, the department continues to support the work of local groups through An Taisce's National Spring Clean.

The 2024 NLPMS results are now available in full on the department's website.

ENDS

Tobin Consulting Engineers were appointed to function as the Litter Monitoring Body (LMB) by the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, for the period 1 July 2023 to 1 April 2026, to continue the development of the National Litter Pollution Monitoring System (NLPMS).

The NLPMS generates, by means of local authority surveys (over 5,000 in 2024), reliable data to enable each local authority to measure, accurately over time, changes in the extent and composition of litter pollution in their functional areas, thus enabling more effective litter management planning.

This System Results 2024 Report and the data gathered in its composition surveys allow for local authorities to gauge the:

• extent and the severity of litter pollution in each local authority area
• types, most likely sources and causes of litter pollution
• changes in litter levels from location to location and over time
• location of litter black spots, and
• impact of new anti-litter measures

Under the NLPMS, the extent and severity of litter pollution is measured using a Litter Pollution Index (LPI), which is on a scale of 1 to 5 as described below:

1. Unpolluted or litter-free
2. Slightly polluted
3. Moderately polluted
4. Significantly polluted, and
5. Grossly polluted

There are 2 types of surveys conducted by local authorities:

• Litter Pollution Surveys to determine the extent and severity of litter pollution
• Litter Quantification Surveys to identify the composition (that is, the type and origin) of litter pollution prevailing in a particular area

The litter quantification surveys identify 15 categories of litter:

• cigarette-related litter
• food-related litter
• sweet-related litter
• takeaway packaging
• glass packaging
• metal packaging
• paper packaging
• plastic packaging
• deleterious litter (for example, dog fouling, nappies, needles, syringes, and so on)
• large litter items (for example, household appliances, furniture, and so on)
• non-packaging paper litter (such as bank slips and magazines)
• non-packaging plastic litter (for example, plastic cutlery, toys and so on)
• miscellaneous (items not otherwise covered such as twine and clothes)
• rubber (tyres and balloons)
• vaping products (for example, vapes, packaging, refills and batteries)

The National Litter Pollution Monitoring System is an environmental management tool that enables local authorities to tackle litter more effectively, by providing a framework for consistent and accurate self-assessment.