Kilkenny councillors urge new plastic bottle deposit scheme

Local councillors have called on the Government to introduce a plastic bottle deposit scheme to try to reduce the amount of indiscriminate dumping, and littering of amenity areas, roads, seas and waterways.

It follows the launch of the National Spring Clean and a new anti-litter roadside campaign in Kilkenny in recent weeks.
At the April meeting of Kilkenny County Council, Labour Party councillors Tomas Breathnach and Maurice Shortall brought a

Notice of Motion asking that council write to the Department of Communications, Climate Action and the Environment urging the introduction of the scheme. It received the backing of the other members present.

“It’s a time of year when we’re out cleaning up and the number of bottles strewn is incredible, in the wrong sense of the word,” said Cllr Breathnach.

Cllr Shortall said that studies have shown 70% of the fish in the Irish Sea have plastic in them. Cllr Malcolm Noonan, said that several local shops, such as butcher John Joe Cullen, had made good progress in reducing plastic waste.