'There are no Litter Fairies'

A suggestion that a sign could be placed on the picnic table in the Valley Park asking users to take home or bin their litter was made at the most recent meeting of Kilcullen Community Action, writes Brian Byrne.

Celia Travers noted that there were significant instances of littering around the table, which was recently installed by workers in the Community Employment Scheme.

"Maybe fix a notice flat on the table that 'fairies don't like litter'," she suggested. Eoin Houlihan recalled a notice seen in the UK saying 'There are No Litter Fairies — Take your Rubbish Home'.

Ray Kelly pointed out that the rubbish in the Valley was primarily discarded by adults, 'not the children'.

The matter came up during a discussion on the need for new bins for the Valley. Noel Clare said the current bins are about 30 years old, and bent out of shape which can make it difficult to take out plastic bags of rubbish.

He said he had asked Kildare County Council to help with the cost of new bins, and is waiting on word of any available grants. "We recently got two new wheelie bins from the Council, which we use for holding collected litter." He noted that the emptying of the bins in the Valley is done by KCA, and that it is done regularly. "And the existing bins are very well used," he added.

Following further discussion on whether any new bins should be segmented with separate spaces for rubbish and recyclable items — like the one recently supplied for the bus stop area — Cllr Fiona McLoughlin Healy who attended the meeting, said she would look into the current Council policy on bins. "I know the emphasis is on encouraging people to take their rubbish home," she noted.

KCA chair Ann Cashman said that 'behaviour is learned', and suggested that in addition to adding no-litter signs, KCA volunteers should talk to people about it. "We could be telling people about it as we're around and about," she said.

The meeting also agreed to look at the possibility of clearing litter on a regular basis from the Bridge Camphill Nature Trail.


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