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General improvement undermined by failings in other areas

Northern Ireland was a cleaner place to live last year, a report funded by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has found.

The Cleaner Neighbourhoods Report, produced by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, surveyed sites across towns, rural roads and recreational areas for litter and other forms of pollution, and rated Northern Ireland’s overall environmental quality at 72% in 2022, a 6% uptick on the previous year’s result.

However, while more parts of the country enjoyed better levels of cleanliness than before, the number of sites that failed to pass acceptable standards saw a slight increase on the previous year, rising from 15% to 16%.

Dr Ian Humphreys, CEO of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful said:

“It would be fair to characterise the results of our most recent Cleaner Neighbourhoods Report as a mixed picture. It is, of course, positive that we have published our best overall performance since 2017, but it is also clear that we have taken some backwards steps.

“The big picture, however, is that one out of six places that we surveyed did not achieve the basic minimum conditions of a healthy environment that is a fundamental human right. That number is still far too high, and should act as a reminder that a lot more work lies ahead.”

Dave Foster, Director of DAERA’s Natural Environment Policy Division commented; “In Northern Ireland we are very fortunate to have some of the most stunning natural landscapes in the world and it is encouraging this report shows an improvement in our overall environmental quality. However, as highlighted in this report, there is always room for further progress especially in regards to cigarette and takeaway litter. It is important we realise we all have an ongoing responsibility to protect and care for our environment and that we need to work towards achieving a clean, healthy space for everyone.”

Other areas of concern identified by the report include a spike in the presence of cigarette litter across the land from 65% to 78%. Takeaway litter also soared in prevalence by 117%, while dog fouling continued its descent in the opposite direction, falling from 6% to 2%.

As with other years, the publication made local-council data available for street-cleansing costs and the number of fixed penalty notices (FPNs) issued. There was an average of 1,203 littering and 34 dog-fouling fines handed out across local-government areas, with Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council serving the highest number of FPNs on both counts. The annual clean-up bill was estimated at £30,961,701, working out at £41.57 per ratepayer.

Surveys for the Cleaner Neighbourhoods Report were completed between July to September 2022.

Outside of inspecting transects for litter, all surveys conducted assessments to determine levels of graffiti, staining, detritus and flyposting. Each site was assigned a grade ranging from A to D and a cleanliness score that was used to calculate the overall environmental-quality percentage for Northern Ireland.

To read the Cleaner Neighbourhoods Report, visit www.keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org/cleaner-neighbourhoods-report.

There are an estimated 11,983,664 items of litter polluting Northern Ireland at all times, according to the findings within a local report funded by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA).

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful has revealed the figure in its Litter Composition Analysis Report 2022-23, following surveys of 1,100 rural and urban roads across all local council areas between November 2022 and February 2023.

Analysing all forms of litter including drinks containers, dog fouling and confectionery packaging, the report establishes that producers from the soft drinks, chocolate and chewing gum industries command 64 per cent of all branded litter found around the province. It has also been identified that Coca-Cola HBC Ltd, Red Bull GmbH, Mondelez Europe, and AG Barr products make up 50 per cent of the branded litter problem, and that 54 per cent of the total litter recorded is made from plastic.

Vaping products have emerged as almost two per cent of the litter problem, placing them on a par with perennial litter offenders like coffee cups and food waste. And cigarette-butts remain a significant threat to the environment, with a predicted 1,194,692 butts scattered throughout communities in Northern Ireland, accounting for ten per cent of the overall litter slice.

Chris Gourley, Waste and Pollution Solutions Strategic Lead at Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful said: “Our report highlights that Northern Ireland has a severe litter problem. Understanding the composition of litter is a sensible step in putting forward credible solutions.

“It is particularly concerning that most of the litter recorded was single use plastic, but this does help to highlight how crucial it is for Northern Ireland to move towards a circular economy in which the life cycle of products is extended as far as possible, resulting in less waste in circulation. Whilst we recognise that legislative change is on the way, including Extended Producer Responsibility beginning from next year, and a Deposit Return Scheme from 2025, more needs to be done to educate, engage and empower. We strongly believe that with continued collaboration and contribution from producers, policymakers, politicians and the public, we can deliver change.”

Lesley Roberts, Head of Waste Prevention Policy at DAERA said: “DAERA remains committed to tackling the problem of littering and will continue to work with stakeholders to advance our anti-litter agenda. DAERA uses a combined approach of legislation, education, awareness and enforcement to tackle littering, and provide funding to support programmes which challenge litter-habits directly as well as changing attitudes and behaviours towards litter.

In December 2022, the Department successfully implemented new legislation which gave local Councils discretionary powers to increase the maximum fixed penalty notice fine from £80 to £200 for litter and dog fouling offences in their council area.”

The Litter Composition Analysis Report 2022-23 is the second litter producer-focused study published by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, following a similar Litter Composition Producer Report released by the charity in 2021. Both reports are part of a wider project funded by DAERA to address the production, consumption and littering of single-use plastic in Northern Ireland.

To read the Litter Composition Analysis Report 2022-23 in full, visit www.keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org/litter-composition-reports.

Kilcooley Primary School is the first in Northern Ireland to complete a brand-new education programme: Climate CALM. The distinctive course encourages primary school pupils to explore the climate crisis in a way that promotes positive mental health.

The much-needed programme was developed by environmental charity Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, in partnership with educational publisher, Twinkl. The resource, which is free to access, is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. (DAERA)

Eco or climate anxiety is an increasingly common phenomenon. A global survey of 10,000 16-25 year olds found that 59% of respondents felt extremely or very worried about climate change, and over 45% said their feelings about climate change negatively affected their daily life and functioning.[1]

The Climate CALM programme, provides the opportunity for younger pupils, aged 7-11, to explore the challenging theme of climate change through a framework designed to minimise eco-anxiety. The framework is informed by the NHS ways of wellbeing which include ‘connecting’, ‘being present’, ‘being active’, ‘learning’ and ‘giving’.

Lynne Johnston, a teacher at Kilcooley Primary School said, ““The children really enjoyed learning about climate change and discussing how they can make a positive difference. We really liked how the 'Ways to Wellbeing' were incorporated into each lesson”.

The Climate CALM programme is free to access via the Twinkl website. Teachers interested in delivering the programme can also avail of free Carbon Literacy training, funded by DAERA and delivered by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful. This training equips teachers with the knowledge to feel confident exploring climate change in the classroom with pupils across the age range.

Scott Howes, Climate Action lead at Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful says, “We’re delighted to have received such a positive response to the Climate CALM programme so far. It is vital that any teaching on climate change addresses climate anxiety. This framework of learning encourages and empowers pupils to be active in creating a positive climate future.”

Rachel Gamble, Country Manager of Twinkl Northern Ireland, says, "We are delighted to be a part of the development of the Climate CALM resources. The interactive lessons are perfect for educating children about the importance of looking after our planet, while also nurturing their own wellbeing. We have seen a strong interest in the programme already and hope that many more teachers and pupils will make use of this excellent resource."

John Early from the Department of Agriculture Environment and Rurals Affairs commented “The Department is pleased to have been able to support the development of the Climate CALM materials for Primary Schools”.

He added “As we move to a low carbon society it is essential that we engage children in climate change discussions, from an early age, so they can begin to understand how the everyday decisions we make can impact upon their own personal carbon footprint and the positive changes they can make. It was great to hear the feedback from the children who have completed the course”.

For more information on Climate CALM, including a link to access the materials, visit: www.keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org/c-calm

Notes to editors:

For further information, or interview requests contact Claire.irwin@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org

About Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful is a charity working towards the vision of a world where people and nature thrive, by running environmental-education programmes and awareness-raising campaigns, increasing volunteering opportunities and reporting on local environmental quality. Programmes include the national civic-pride campaign Live Here Love Here, Tackling Plastic NI, Tackling Textiles, Carbon Literacy training, and local environmental quality programmes, such as Eco-Schools NI, Blue Flag Award, Seaside Award, Green Flag Award, Cleaner Neighbourhoods and Marine Litter surveys. For more information, visit www.keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org.