Spending time outdoors can be very beneficial for mental and physical wellbeing. Even so, lockdown number two has seen us somewhat less encouraged to take our daily stroll. This is largely due to the dropping temperature and shorter evenings, however at Teach Solais CLG we were feeling the loss of our energizing afternoon stroll and brisk evening saunter. So we decided to find a little inspiration.
On Saturday afternoon Directors, Clare and Justyna, and TS team members, Hannah and Monica, made the most of the blue afternoon sky and took to cleaning the streets.
This was somewhat motivated by the news that the Anti-Litter and Anti-Graffiti Grants provided by Cavan County Council and funded by the Department of Environment, Climate and Communication will not be forthcoming this year. Cavan's Environmental Awareness Officer had been in regular contact with the Department this year to see if this funding would be made available given the current pandemic. Sadly, the difficult decision has been made and the Anti-Litter and Anti-Graffiti Grant scheme is being deferred until 2021.
There is hope that the grant scheme will run much earlier than usual and will potentially be advertised in early 2021. We would advise anyone concerned to keep in touch with their local Tidy Towns Group.
This news got us thinking about personal responsibility and the role each of us play within our community. Covid-19 has made many of us reevaluate various aspects of modern life and it seems as though our journey is far from over.
As we prepare ourselves for 2021 and another uncertain but slightly more familiar spring, we must reestablish our sustainable efforts. Covid-19 is not yet over, but perhaps the frenzy is.
The promotion of mask wearing as a way to slow the spread of Covid-19 has led to an extraordinary increase in the production of disposable masks. The UN trade body, UNCTAD estimates that global sales will total some €139 billion this year, up from about €671 million in 2019. It is expected approximately 75% of the used masks, as well as other pandemic-related waste such as rubber gloves, will end up in landfills, or floating in the seas.
Our personal and civic responsibility doesn't end with simply wearing the mask. By now we should be carefully considering how to responsibly procure them and dispose of them. We enjoyed our Saturday litter pick, almost as much as we enjoyed chatting to the people who stopped to show us encouragement. We were however concerned about the volume of tossed masks and gloves.
As crucial as Department of Environment, Climate and Communication funding is, our clean community streets should not cease without it. Litter picking is something people of all ages can do. It's a great activity for families or people who have a favourite trail and love going for regular walks and feel a sense of connection to a particular area. Picking up the litter in your area has many positive impacts on the environment, particularly on waterways. It's an experience that can enlighten you to pollution and highlight the issue in a way you won't soon forget.
If you do decide to go on a litter pick remember to wear protective gear or better yet - use a litter picker! If you are in the Ballyjamesduff area we will be happy to lend you some and can also assist with disposing of your litter when you're done!