Pure has recorded a 22% increase in illegal dumping in the Wicklow/Dublin Uplands when compared to 2023.
The environmental project, Pure (Protecting Uplands & Rural Environments), has recorded a 22% increase in illegal dumping in the Wicklow/Dublin Uplands when compared to 2023.
In 2024 the Pure Truck collected 890 individual sites, with the collection of 146,580kg (146.580 tonnes) of illegally dumped waste from the remote, beautiful, and scenic, Wicklow/Dublin Uplands. This was a 22% increase when compared to 2023 when Pure removed 120,000kg (120 tonnes).
Although the initiative has made huge progress in reducing illegal dumping in the Wicklow/Dublin Uplands since the project was established in 2006, Pure encountered a number of large illegal dumping sites last year. One large scale illegal dumping incident removed by Pure in May 2024, located outside of Rathdrum, amounted to over 8,000kg of waste. The dumping consisted of construction and demolition waste from a large conservatory with various materials such as window frames, guttering, slates, rubble and soil, all found dumped in a beautiful part of Wicklow.
Ian Davis, Pure Manager, commented,
‘The Pure partnership approach, incorporating statutory and non-statutory organisations, and members of the public, has proven extremely successful in combating illegal dumping in the Wicklow/Dublin Uplands. However, we were extremely busy in 2024 and in the first four months we removed 60,000kg of illegally dumped waste, which is an increase compared to previous years. Large illegal dumping sites, like the one outside Rathdrum, resulted in the removal of 8,000kg of waste and another site located in the scenic Wicklow Mountains National Parks had 1,500kg of timber decking dumped. We also responded to several large scale illegal dumping incidents with many of the sites containing mixed waste including, cement blocks, timber, pallets, couches, sofas, tables, beds, mattresses, cabinets, chairs, toys, clothes, carpets, presses, fridges, T.V.s, washing machines – the list is endless. Although we did see an increase in dumping recorded in 2024, it is worth noting that when you compare last year to 2008, which was our busiest year, when we removed 440 tonnes (440,000kg), 2024 represents a 67% reduction in illegal dumping in Wicklow/Dublin Uplands. We have made huge progress in reducing illegal dumping, but we know that we cannot become complacent, and it is vital that we continue to monitor the situation and ensure that we remove illegal dumping quickly from the landscape – because we know that, Dumping causes Dumping.’
The Pure Truck is on the road every day, and since Pure was established in 2006, it has removed over 4,100,000kg (4,100 tonnes) of rubbish from over 15,700 illegal dumping sites in the Wicklow/Dublin Uplands, with the project processing over 16,900 reports reports/complaints. If you were to put all the rubbish that Pure has removed from the uplands into standard household rubbish bags, they would fill over 820,000 bags. If you lined up all these bags on the road, they would stretch all the way from Dublin Airport to Mizen Head in Cork, and back again.
Pure has been recording and mapping every location and incident of illegal dumping in the Wicklow/Dublin Uplands since 2006 and they have built up a base-line-data of all illegal dumping activity in this region, the location of dumping, type of dumping, landowner, and approximate amount of dumping, and for several years now they have been recording an annual reduction. The data collected by Pure is valuable information providing indicators into the nature and extent of illegal dumping in Wicklow/Dublin Uplands, and statistical evidence for all illegal dumping incidents in this region.
Pure utilises a multi-disciplined approach in combating illegal dumping, incorporating a number of educational initiatives, environment/community/heritage projects – The Pure Mile, public awareness campaigns, regional/national media campaigns, enforcement and preventative measures, GPS/GIS data-base to record all illegal dumping sites, and they also have a dedicated vehicle, the Pure Truck, which removes all illegal dumping from the Wicklow/Dublin Uplands. A new Pure Truck was purchased last year from funding provided by the Department of Environment, Climate, and Communications, and Pure secured funding from the department until the end of 2026.
In 2024 Pure celebrated 15 years of the Pure Mile and last year was their most successful year, with the initiative growing to over 3,500 volunteers. The Pure Mile started with just 5 miles and now there are over 1,000 miles (1,600km) of road, mountains, woodlands, valleys, forestries, upland amenities, car parks, pull-ins, and even some coastal areas. In 2024, Pure Mile groups collected over 4,000 bags of rubbish from the Wicklow/Dublin Uplands, with tonnes of illegal dumping and litter removed from the landscape, with over 2,000 individual and group litter picks/cleanups and events organised.
The Pure Mile is an environmental, community, heritage initiative, that encourages communities and groups living in rural areas of Wicklow, South Dublin, and Dun-Laoghaire, to adopt a mile of road, or miles of road, in their local area, or in the Wicklow/Dublin Uplands and organise litter picks, clean-ups, anti-dumping campaigns, research information about their local wildflowers, plants, trees, animals, and the built, cultural, and social heritage of an area. Thousands of Pure Mile volunteers, ranging from individuals to family groups, community groups, walking groups, hiking groups, running groups, cycling groups, schools, scouts, beavers, businesses, and organisations, have removed hundreds of tonnes of illegally dumped waste and thousands of bags of litter and rubbish from the Wicklow/Dublin Uplands. Pure provide all groups with Pure Mile signage, Pure Mile high-vis vests, Pure Mile bags, gloves, litter pickers and they also remove all the rubbish collected by the groups. The success of the initiative further demonstrates the necessity and importance of Pure, and the need for continued collaboration and engagement to protect the Wicklow/Dublin upland environment.
Members of the public can report all incidents of illegal dumping in the Wicklow/Dublin Uplands to the Pure Office by emailing Pure at info@pureproject.ie or phone Pure on 0402 28662.
Pure is the first initiative of its kind in Ireland incorporating statutory and non-statutory organisations and stakeholders, including, the Department of Environment, Climate, and Communications, Wicklow County Council, South Dublin County Council, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, Coillte, National Parks & Wildlife Service, and the Wicklow Uplands Council. This unique partnership initiative was established to combat illegal dumping in the Wicklow/Dublin Uplands and was officially launched in September 2006.