Litter and the Law
Offaly County Council has 5 Litter Wardens whose responsibility it is to enforce the Litter Pollution Act 1997. It is everyone's responsibility to ensure that Offaly is litter free and remains a clean environment in which to live.
To make a complaint about littering please contact the Litter Hotline on 1 800 242 673 or e-mail environment@offalycoco.ie
FACTS ABOUT LITTER
Did you know that under Litter Pollution Act 1997, you are breaking the law when....
- You create litter in a public place - this can be throwing a cigarette butt or sweet papers on the ground or dumping your waste in hedges or bogs
- You present your household refuse for collection in a manner that creates litter – this means that when you put your waste out for collection, it must be secure so waste cannot be blown around
- You own, hire or drive a car and litter is dropped from it
- You fail to clean up if your dog fouls in certain public places, whether on the street or at a park or on the beach or - be warned - in the garden of another person’s house
- You put your household waste into public litter bins
- You place items such as cardboard boxes at glass bottle banks
If you are a BUSINESS you should be a ware that you are breaking the law when....
- You place advertising signs on or in a public place without planning permission
- You create litter in the carrying on of a business, trade, or activity or in loading, transporting or handling anything
- You present your commercial/business waste for collection in a manner that creates litter.
- You operate a mobile outlet and you don’t provide litter bins or don’t clear up litter resulting from your activities
Under Section 10 of the Litter Pollution Act 1997, Local Authorities are required to adopt Litter Management Plans for their areas. The legislation prescribes the specific minimum components of a Litter Management Plan, requiring information on litter prevention and control activities and the setting of appropriate objectives and targets for a 3 YEAR period.
