Team up and help clean up Dublin

Dublin city council is looking for 10,000 volunteers to help clean up Dublin on Easter Saturday.

Team Dublin Clean-Up is asking people to help pick up rubbish throughout the city of Dublin.

Speaking to The Circular, Simon Brock, admin officer with Dublin Waste Management Services, says the event aims to get people to take pride in where they live.

‘Team Dublin Clean-up is about trying to foster a sense of community spirit around Dublin city,’ said Brock.

Dublin City Council is wanting to build on the community involvement that is already there and the success story that is local community clean-ups.

‘We all have a shared responsibility in ensuring that the city is clean, presentable and an enjoyable place to live,’ Brock said.

Brock says this is an opportunity for people to get out and meet each other, do a little litter picking and have some fun.

‘We hope people make an event of it,’ said Brock.

The event will run from 11 am to 1 pm. March 26^th and people can register at teamdublincleanup.ie or can call 01-2222222.

Dublin City Council chose the Easter weekend as a tie-in to the memory of that day and give people some ownership.

Dublin Lord Mayor Críona Ní Dhálaigh said, ‘Based on the success of many small local community clean ups across the city and especially the Adopt a Street programme I encourage everyone to get together and help make our city super clean.’

Brock said they were inspired by the Team Limerick Clean Up last year and the huge success Limerick had with the event.

‘That’s definitely something that Dublin could do and Dublin should do!’

Brock said the programme will operate on a city wide basis and this is not just within the city centre so individuals, community groups, college clubs, sporting organisations, and businesses are all encourage to participate.

‘We are asking people to tell us where they would like to clean up.’

‘We’ve given people the option to choosing main thorough fairs, villages, areas around the entire the city,’ he said.

Waste management will provide participants with clean up kits which will include litter pickers, brushes, hand sanitiser, gloves and hi-vis vests and will collect any bags of litter on the day of the event.

‘The only thing we insist that people read and agree to our health and safety guidelines, just so they are aware of the health and safety being carried out on the day,’ Brock said.

People will target items such as: sweet wrappers, drink cans or bottles, crisp bags, cigarette butts, and paper during the clean-up event.

People will not be expected to pick up hazardous waste or heavy or dumped items Brock says.

‘It is purely litter picking in your local area,’ Brock said. ‘It’s the attention to detail, making sure the streets look clean and tidy and presentable.’

Brock is hoping the event will give people a little bit of civic pride and responsibility.

‘Keeping Dublin litter free is a shared responsibility for all of us,’ said Lord Mayor Ní Dhálaigh.

In a July 4, 2015 Irish Times editorial titled Dirty old town it said, ‘the city [Dublin]  council is abjectly failing in its responsibilities where keeping the streets clean are concerned.’

Brock was unaware of any criticism in regards to litter within Dublin, however, he says an event like this are part of a solution to any city’s litter problem.

‘Doing smalls things like this, even picking up a few pieces of litter, makes a difference to your local area, said Brock.

‘And it might discourage people from littering.’

#TeamDublinCleanUp     #KeepDublinClean