In response to public outcry over viral images of rubbish strewn all over Salthill’s beaches during the May heatwave, the city council has planned a proactive litter response ahead of a hot weekend.
Met Eireann is predicting temperatures in parts of Connacht may surpass 29ºC from Friday to Sunday, with Galway city expected to receive prolonged sunshine this Saturday, and especially Sunday.
In anticipation of increased visitor numbers to the city during a potential heatwave, Galway City Council’s Litter Management Unit will deploy additional staff in the early mornings and evenings to assist with rubbish collection and maintain cleanliness of public areas.
Volunteer beach cleaners with marine charity CuriOcean X report they have collected 877kg – a weight equivalent to 11 full beer kegs – of waste from Galway beaches so far this year up to April, before the early summer heatwave.
As part of ongoing efforts to address city beaches being left under heaps of discarded packaging, drinks containers, cigarette butts and even soiled nappies after fine weather, the Litter Management Unit is currently running a pilot initiative involving the installation of six bin bag holders at key locations in Salthill.
These dispensers contain two rolls of biodegradable bags and are intended to encourage visitors to collect and carry their waste to the nearest bin, helping to reduce litter on the beach and surrounding public spaces.
There are 14 bins provided along the two-kilometre stretch between Blackrock Diving Pier and Grattan Beach, with further on-street bins available in Salthill village.
Council staff said they continually monitors conditions at Salthill, particularly during periods of good weather and increased visitor numbers. A spokeswoman said they will keep operational arrangements under review throughout the summer.
“We would also encourage all visitors to Salthill to take personal responsibility for their waste by using the litter bins provided,” she said.
In May, Galway city west councillor Níall McNelis (Lab ) described the state of Sathill beaches after the fine weather as a “pandemic of laziness”.
“It’s very simple: put whatever you bring in a bin, and if that’s full, bring it home, or wait till you find another bin,” he said, adding that citizens owe gratitude to parks and environment teams who leave the city pristine each morning.
Since June, Galway City Council has held a public consultation on installing CCTV to prevent littering and dumping in public areas. The deadline for submissions is today, Thursday July 9.
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