Locals in Waterford encouraged to take part in the National Spring Clean

Registrations for the National Spring Clean are well underway and 2025’s campaign is on track to be the biggest yet with almost 3,000 participants registered to date.

Registrations will remain open throughout the month of April, and An Taisce is inviting individuals and community groups in Waterford to sign up and take part.

Operated by An Taisce, funded by the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications and sponsored by Mars Wrigley, the National Spring Clean is Ireland’s largest anti-litter campaign, rallying thousands of volunteers each year.

Throughout the month of April, communities from across Ireland will take part in the National Spring Clean to tackle the problem of litter in local areas and to see the benefits of a litter-free environment. Over the past 26 years, the campaign has seen thousands of participants of all ages volunteer their time, with of an estimated 50,000 tonnes of litter removed from Irish streets, parks, and coastlines to date.

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Last year, 5,430 groups registered to carry out clean-ups throughout the country, collecting an estimated 2,725 tonnes of litter. 35% of all waste collected during the 2024 National Spring Clean was recycled, as the campaign continues to highlight the importance of a circular economy and waste reduction.

This emphasis is further supported by schemes such as the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), which was launched last February. According to an Irish Businesses Against Litter (IBAL) survey, the introduction of the DRS saw a near 50% reduction in the prevalence of plastic bottles and cans in 500+ sites monitored across 40 counties. In February this year, the DRS reached a milestone of 1 billion returned containers.

However, overall litter levels remain high with smoking related litter which includes cigarettes butts and vapes on the rise.

Minister of State in the Department of Climate, Environment and Energy Alan Dillon TD, Alan Dillon said: “Every year, the local volunteers continue to demonstrate the fantastic community spirit and desire to make a positive contribution to the local environment, by participating in An Taisce’s National Spring Clean. I look forward to seeing the great sense of community again this year and hope to see record attendance.”

National Spring Clean Manager, Emlyn Cullen, commented:“Thanks to the contribution of our volunteers, the National Spring Clean has been hugely successful in tackling litter over the last 26 years. With the launch of the 2025 National Spring Clean campaign, we are looking forward to yet another fantastic year of community spirit positively impact on local environments and biodiversity. There is still time for people to register and get involved so we hope you will feel inspired to join in the clean-up.”

Mars Wrigley Ireland Corporate Affairs Manager, Anne Sheeran added: “Mars Wrigley Ireland is proud to support another year of the National Spring Clean, which is a fantastic initiative, empowering individuals to make a positive impact on their communities. As an organisation, we remain committed to playing our part in the delivery of a cleaner planet, by supporting important initiatives such as the National Spring Clean to help deliver a cleaner, greener future for everyone. Good luck to everyone taking part in the 2025 campaign!”

To make sure that each community clean up can run as smoothly as possible the National Spring Clean has also provided various downloadable information packs on their website for their volunteers to read. The clean-up information pack containing details on how to organise an event, health and safety information, litter facts, useful contacts, media and publicity advice, a guide on how to recycle and information on litter and the law.

An Taisce’s National Spring Clean is inviting people to visit the website www.nationalspringclean.org and register for a free clean-up kit.