Pure Mile volunteers collect over 1,700 bags of litter and rubbish from the wicklow/dublin uplands
The environmental and community initiative, the Pure Mile, which encourages communities and groups to adopt a mile of road (or miles of road) and work with Pure organising litter picks and clean ups, has removed over 1,700 bags of litter and rubbish from Wicklow/Dublin Uplands since last November.
Pure Mile litter picks are organised throughout the year and approximately 900 litter picks/clean-ups have already taken place. These clean-up events have resulted in the collection of over 1,700 bags of litter, rubbish, and dumping, from the Wicklow/Dublin upland environment, all by thousands of Pure Mile Volunteers. One recent Pure Mile clean-up of the Wicklow/Dublin uplands resulted in the collection of over 75 bags of rubbish. Pure Mile Groups were responsible for the collection of over 410 bags of litter in March with an additional 550 bags in April.
Apart from general litter, other discarded material dumped on the environment included, tyres, batteries, mattresses, radios, hovers, TV’s, cables, piping, furniture, chairs, bedframes, building materials, plaster board, timber, carpets, lino, metal, flooring, toys, prams, buckets, bikes, and much more. Every Pure Mile clean-up makes a huge difference to the Wicklow/Dublin environment and Pure are emphasising that every litter pick event organised by Pure Mile Groups in the Wicklow/Dublin Uplands, regardless of the amount of rubbish removed, has a positive impact on this unique landscape and environment. Pure Mile groups are also contacting Pure to report illegal dumping sites that they find on the landscape during their litter picks, and Pure are ensuring a swift removal of the dumping with the project receiving 360 reports so far this year.
Ian Davis, Pure Manager, commented,
‘The Pure Mile was established in 2010, and the project has grown from 5 miles to over 1,000 miles. We have seen an increase in people reconnecting with the area they live in, or in an area they recreate, and people are becoming much more aware of the amount of litter and rubbish on our roadside verges, hedges, and drains. The Pure Truck has been extremely busy collecting rubbish daily, ensuring that no Pure Mile bags are left on the landscape. It’s amazing the amount of litter and rubbish the Pure Mile Volunteers are removing, and on behalf of Pure I would like to thank all of them and congratulate them for their dedication in Cleaning Up The Wicklow/Dublin Uplands.’’
The Wicklow/Dublin Uplands is a unique landscape and environment and although Pure has removed tonnes of illegal dumping from this beautiful scenic landscape, they only have one truck and one driver, so they are unable to remove the unsightly small-scale litter from the area. Pure have been working with Walking Groups, Hiking Groups, Cycling Groups, Running Groups, Businesses and Organisations, who are looking after areas in the Wicklow Mountains National Park. This area is of both Irish and European significance and protected under the European Habitats Directive as a Special Area of Conservation. Pure Mile Volunteers have commented to Pure that most of the litter in the Wicklow/Dublin Uplands consists of cans, bottles, wrappers, and plastic, located at viewing points and pull-ins, no doubt discarded there by people enjoying the scenic landscape and tranquil beauty of the area. Because of Pure Mile Volunteers’ enthusiasm, energy, and commitment, people have noticed considerable improvements in the areas adopted by Pure Mile Groups.
Several litter picks and clean-ups of the Wicklow/Dublin Uplands have already taken place this year and Pure Mile groups are transforming this environmentally sensitive area, an area which attracts thousands of visitors annually, into a litter free zone. The success of the Pure Mile in the Wicklow/Dublin Uplands is evident when in 2024 Pure had to cancel litter pick events due to lack of litter on the environment. This reduction in litter is also a result of the success of the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). The DRS was introduced in February 2024 to tackle the problem of cans and plastic bottles littering our environment and many of the Pure Mile Groups have stated that it has made a noticeable difference.
The Pure Truck is on the road every day and in the first 4 months of 2025 it has already removed over 54 tonnes (54,000kg) of illegal dumping and rubbish from Wicklow/Dublin Uplands. Pure Mile Volunteers have been extremely busy cleaning up roads, verges, drains and ditches from the Wicklow/Dublin uplands. There are now over 1,000 Pure Mile roads, mountains, woodlands, valleys, forestries, car parks, pull-ins, and upland amenities, involved in the 2025 Pure Mile Project, the largest number ever since the project began in 2010.
Pure are continuing to support all the Pure Mile Groups by organising further litter picks, clean-ups, anti-dumping initiatives, community projects, biodiversity and heritage projects, which will be ongoing throughout the year.
Pure provide all groups with Pure Mile signage, Pure Mile bags, Pure Mile high-vis vests, gloves, litter pickers, and the Pure Truck removes all of the rubbish collected by the groups.
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.