Clean streets, stronger communities  

The time for the national spring-cleaning event has arrived. 

The National Spring Clean is Ireland’s leading anti-litter initiative, taking place every April since 1999.  

Organized by An Taisce in partnership with the Department of Environment, Heritage & Local Government, and local authorities, it aims to encourage individuals and communities to take responsibility for litter by organising clean-up events in their local areas. 

Over the years, it has grown significantly, with thousands of participants collecting litter across the country.   

The national Spring Cleaning 2025 is in the process of registration for volunteers.

In 2024, there were 42 groups registered from D7 and D8, and so far, 18 groups have registered for this year. Their goal is always to “improve on last year’s number of registered events,” though this can be affected by external factors such as the date Easter falls, spokesperson Emlyn Cullen says. 

There’s been a noticeable rise in positive attitudes toward litter prevention, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. “People were spending more time outdoors in their own local areas and began to take more interest in them.” 

There has been growing interest among younger generations, driven in part by the influence of climate activist Greta Thunberg. Emlyn said, “there’s a growing rise in younger people’s interest, as there is with all environmental issues – this is known as the Greta Effect.” 

There have been some setbacks in the Dublin area however, as litter picking in Dublin still has its challenges. The inner city remains one of the areas most affected by litter, according to the IBAL (Irish Business Against Litter) survey run by An Taisce. 

There has also been a lack of school registrations from the Liberties area, even though schools from that area have joined in past events. Cullen stressed however that doing a clean-up can send a strong message to the community.  

When people see others picking up litter, it helps reinforce the idea that litter isn’t welcome. This often leads to cleaner neighborhoods, thanks to what’s known as the “broken window theory,” which suggests that cleaner areas discourage further littering. 

The spring-cleaning event is great way to give back to the community and registration is available until the month of April where you can sign up as an individual or sign up your work organisation or school.