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The physical and mental health benefits of our green spaces were celebrated at the annual Green Flag Awards in Lisburn. The green heroes from 11 council areas across Northern Ireland, Queens University, Belfast, and the Department of Finance were recognised today for the pivotal work they do in maintaining the spaces for the public to run, walk, and spend family time in.

This year, the focus of the awards is celebrating the physical and mental health benefits that we get from using our local parks and green spaces. The awards are taking place during Love Parks Week, which runs from 26th July to 4th August 2024, which highlights the role green spaces play in boosting the health and wellbeing of residents and communities.

Our guest speaker, Dr. William Bird MBE, knows first-hand the benefits of a strong park network. Dr Bird has pioneered the concept of social prescribing by setting up the first Health Walk scheme, closely followed by the first Green Gym. He quickly found that companionship and contact with nature were major driving forces in keeping people active. The Green Flag programme sets international standards for our parks to strive toward and the record number of awards this year speaks directly to the high standards that the public can enjoy locally and their importance in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

112 awards were presented this year to parks and open spaces including 71 Green Flags, 34 community Green Flags and 7 Heritage Awards.

The Green Flag Award is an internationally recognised certification for environmental quality management for parks and open spaces and is increasingly sought after in Northern Ireland since the local programme opened in 2008.

Carol Forster Head of Business Development of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful which manages the local Green Flag Awards programme, said;

“Prioritising parks and open spaces is vital for our future and so we are delighted to see a milestone 105 sites in Northern Ireland meeting the required standards, representing over 4% of the sites globally achieving the prestigious international Green Flag award. These spaces provide vital opportunities to improve the physical and mental health of communities, provide havens for biodiversity, offer spaces where people can connect with nature and are a critical component of our green infrastructure. On behalf of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, I offer my congratulations to all of the park staff and community volunteers who devote much time and care to maintain these spaces for us all to enjoy. I want to encourage everyone this summer to take the opportunity to visit some of our beautiful green flag sites and enjoy these gems on our doorstep here in Northern Ireland”

The Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Minister, Andrew Muir MLA, said;

I am proud to support the Green Flags for Parks Awards programme and it is encouraging to see the increase in the number of parks providing quality green spaces that can be accessed by citizens and visitors alike. Our local parks provide a direct and vital link to our natural environment giving us all the opportunity to spend time outside in the fresh air and re-connect with nature. Our parks not only provide us with healthy spaces to live and relax, they also provide green corridors between wildlife-rich habitats, contributing to the wider nature recovery network that supports all our efforts to make Northern Ireland 'nature positive’.

Congratulations to the award winners today and I thank you for your tireless work that allows us all to fully enjoy the fantastic physical and mental health benefits offered by our parks and green spaces.

Notes to Editors

To view the full list of Green Flag Award winners for Northern Ireland, visit www.keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org/greenflagaward.

The 30 under 30 programme is celebrating our second cohort, finishing this year with some impressive projects. Thirty young people across Northern Ireland have come together since February 2024 to develop their ideas to help fight the climate emergency. 30 Under 30 is helping make these ideas a reality by connecting ambitious and energetic young people with one another. Each idea is another critical piece of the jigsaw in helping Northern Ireland fight against the climate emergency. Projects ranged from sustainable tourism to raising awareness of light pollution. This year's cohort will now develop these projects, bringing important benefits to their communities and our society.

This year's cohort, with the invaluable support of our partners Podiem, have completed six workshops. These workshops, focusing on purpose-driven leadership, teamwork, and impact, have been instrumental in shaping the ideas of our young leaders. The support from our partners and sponsors is a crucial part of the puzzle in our fight against the climate emergency, and we are deeply grateful for their contribution.

The 30 Under 30 Northern Ireland Climate Change-Makers programme is a beacon of hope, designed to unearth, inspire, and equip 30 leaders under the age of 30 who can play a pivotal role in shaping a better climate future for Northern Ireland and beyond. 30 under 30 draws on the international EE 30 Under 30 initiative introduced by the North American Association for Environmental Education.

The programme, delivered by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and Podiem, and funded by Coca-Cola, Ulster Garden Villages, Danske Bank, Belfast City Council and Pinsent Masons is a testament to the power of collective action and the potential of our youth to make a difference.

Speaking about the success of the 2024 cohort, the Environmental Leadership & Awards Programme Manager, Jenna Potter said,

“Following the success of our pilot last year, we had high expectations for the class of 2024, and they did not disappoint. Having attended all six workshops, seeing the growth of the ideas, the depth of the connections all of them have made, and the enthusiasm has been incredible. I want to congratulate everyone who has participated this year, and I am excited to see their next steps.”

“The quality of the young people we are sourcing and the ideas generated demonstrates the importance of the 30 under 30 programme to Northern Ireland’s fight against the climate emergency. I want to thank our partners Podiem and the support from Coca-Cola, Ulster Garden Villages Danske Bank, Belfast City Council and Pinsent Masons for helping make this happen.”

David McCann   Mon 01 Jul 2024   updated: Tue 02 Jul 2024

The Eco-Schools programme, a renowned global initiative led by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) that aims to create environmental awareness and action, is celebrating its 30th anniversary in Northern Ireland. The milestone was marked with a celebration event at Stranmillis University College this week with over 500 people attending including teachers and pupils. Established in 1994 to involve young people in finding solutions to environmental and sustainable development challenges, the programme is operated locally by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and supported by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), local authorities and a range of other partners.

Northern Ireland’s record of success in the programme over the last three decades is significant. The Green Flag, an international accreditation for the environmental education and performance of schools, has been awarded to 2253 schools across the region to date. Northern Ireland was also the first in the world to award a Green Flag to one of its schools - Downpatrick Nursery in 1994. The 1000th Green Flag was awarded to Walker Memorial Primary School in Dungannon in 2017.

Over the course of the two-day event, supported by RiverRidge and Translink, a variety of awards were presented to schools, recognising their outstanding achievements in environmental stewardship and sustainable practices.

The Green Flag Awards accredited and reaccredited schools with Green Flag Status, whilst the Wheelie Big Challenge Awards funded by Antrim and Newtownabbey Council, Belfast City Council, Mid and East Antrim Council, Lisburn and Castlereagh Council and Natural World Products was given to schools with strong waste management initiatives.

The Eco-School of the year Award was sponsored by Nexus, whilst the Eco-Teacher of the Year and the Eco-Pupil of the Year was sponsored by Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE). Pupils who participated in the international Young Reporters from the Environment (YRE) programme were also acknowledged.

Carol Forster, Head of Business Development at Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful said, “Our journey over the past 30 years has been remarkable. I commend our schools across Northern Ireland for their steadfast commitment in inspiring young people to care for the world around them. We’ve seen countless young people grow into environmentally conscious citizens, equipped with the knowledge and passion to make a difference.

“The Eco-Schools programme aligns with our wider organisational vision. We believe that through education, engagement and empowerment, we can change behaviours so that everyone can enjoy a beautiful, resilient, and healthy environment.

“This event not only serves as a platform to celebrate our continued achievements, but also as an urgent reminder on how important it is to continue to inspire and invest in our youth to ensure that future generations actively participate in environmental stewardship. We’re grateful to all our partners for their continued support and strongly encourage more schools to join the programme to give every child in Northern Ireland the opportunity to get involved.”

Rob Belt, Eco-Coordinator at Bessbrook Primary School who has been delivering his school’s programme, said, “Eco-Schools has changed how our young people see and engage with their environment. It integrates environmental awareness and action into all fabrics of day-to-day school life. Retaining our Green Flag status is tremendously important to our school as it is the benchmark that tells us we’re doing good by our students and by the environment.”

A key highlight of the anniversary event was the launch of Generation Nature – a new outdoor learning demonstration site at Stranmillis University College which will provide trainee teachers with the hands-on experience and practical skills essential for continuing the success of the Eco-Schools programme. The project has been developed in partnership with the college and is supported by Energia’s Greener Possibilities Fund.

Dr David McKee at Stranmillis University College said, “It's essential we continue to integrate environmental education into teacher training in Northern Ireland, to ensure that new teachers are equipped with the tools and the knowledge needed to strengthen our collective performance in Eco-Schools. Generation Nature will play an essential role in this endeavour – it’s a wonderful addition to the teacher training experience.”

Leo McKillion of RiverRidge, Northern Ireland’s leading waste and resource management company said, “We were delighted to be involved in this event. It is vital that we continue to both educate and listen to the next generation as we all strive to live in a more sustainable world. RiverRidge believes that schools play a key role in changing the environment by reducing waste and treating it as a valuable resource. Let’s keep working together to spread the word and change behaviour.”

For more information, please visit www.eco-schoolsni.org

The Eco-Schools programme, a renowned global initiative led by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) that aims to create environmental awareness and action, is celebrating its 30th anniversary in Northern Ireland. The milestone was marked with a celebration event at Stranmillis University College this week with over 500 people attending including teachers and pupils. Established in 1994 to involve young people in finding solutions to environmental and sustainable development challenges, the programme is operated locally by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and supported by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), local authorities and a range of other partners.

Northern Ireland’s record of success in the programme over the last three decades is significant. The Green Flag, an international accreditation for the environmental education and performance of schools, has been awarded to 2253 schools across the region to date. Northern Ireland was also the first in the world to award a Green Flag to one of its schools - Downpatrick Nursery in 1994. The 1000th Green Flag was awarded to Walker Memorial Primary School in Dungannon in 2017.

Over the course of the two-day event, supported by RiverRidge and Translink, a variety of awards were presented to schools, recognising their outstanding achievements in environmental stewardship and sustainable practices.

The Green Flag Awards accredited and reaccredited schools with Green Flag Status, whilst the Wheelie Big Challenge Awards funded by Antrim and Newtownabbey Council, Belfast City Council, Mid and East Antrim Council, Lisburn and Castlereagh Council and Natural World Products was given to schools with strong waste management initiatives.

The Eco-School of the year Award was sponsored by Nexus, whilst the Eco-Teacher of the Year and the Eco-Pupil of the Year was sponsored by Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE). Pupils who participated in the international Young Reporters from the Environment (YRE) programme were also acknowledged.

Carol Forster, Head of Business Development at Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful said, “Our journey over the past 30 years has been remarkable. I commend our schools across Northern Ireland for their steadfast commitment in inspiring young people to care for the world around them. We’ve seen countless young people grow into environmentally conscious citizens, equipped with the knowledge and passion to make a difference.

“The Eco-Schools programme aligns with our wider organisational vision. We believe that through education, engagement and empowerment, we can change behaviours so that everyone can enjoy a beautiful, resilient, and healthy environment.

“This event not only serves as a platform to celebrate our continued achievements, but also as an urgent reminder on how important it is to continue to inspire and invest in our youth to ensure that future generations actively participate in environmental stewardship. We’re grateful to all our partners for their continued support and strongly encourage more schools to join the programme to give every child in Northern Ireland the opportunity to get involved.”

Rob Belt, Eco-Coordinator at Bessbrook Primary School who has been delivering his school’s programme, said, “Eco-Schools has changed how our young people see and engage with their environment. It integrates environmental awareness and action into all fabrics of day-to-day school life. Retaining our Green Flag status is tremendously important to our school as it is the benchmark that tells us we’re doing good by our students and by the environment.”

A key highlight of the anniversary event was the launch of Generation Nature – a new outdoor learning demonstration site at Stranmillis University College which will provide trainee teachers with the hands-on experience and practical skills essential for continuing the success of the Eco-Schools programme. The project has been developed in partnership with the college and is supported by Energia’s Greener Possibilities Fund.

Dr David McKee at Stranmillis University College said, “It's essential we continue to integrate environmental education into teacher training in Northern Ireland, to ensure that new teachers are equipped with the tools and the knowledge needed to strengthen our collective performance in Eco-Schools. Generation Nature will play an essential role in this endeavour – it’s a wonderful addition to the teacher training experience.”

Leo McKillion of RiverRidge, Northern Ireland’s leading waste and resource management company said, “We were delighted to be involved in this event. It is vital that we continue to both educate and listen to the next generation as we all strive to live in a more sustainable world. RiverRidge believes that schools play a key role in changing the environment by reducing waste and treating it as a valuable resource. Let’s keep working together to spread the word and change behaviour.”

For more information, please visit www.eco-schoolsni.org

Northern Ireland has already lost opportunities afforded by the Northern Ireland Climate Act to tackle the climate emergency due to Stormont being suspended for two years and the consequent lack of resources. Meeting targets to reduce emissions will be incredibly challenging, and changing behaviour to enable that will be even more difficult.

Yet it is critical that we put our best foot forward and make sure that we have the right frameworks in place at both UK-wide and Northern Ireland levels and that the resources to properly implement the necessary changes are available.

Northern Ireland cannot operate in isolation; it needs to work with the UK government, the Irish government, and the governments in the other devolved regions. It is critical that in the next mandate our Members of Parliament press for this cooperation and ensure that Northern Ireland is properly resourced in its efforts to fight the climate emergency. In this election, the climate and environment must be a top priority for our politicians, not just during the campaign but for the years ahead. If we take the right actions,

A Better Tomorrow is possible.

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Get Ready For Plastic Free July 2024

Maria McLaughlin    Wed 05 Jun 2024

Plastic Free July 2024 Helpful Tips!

Trying to cut down on single-use plastic or cut plastic usage out altogether why not…

• Buy less - avoid disposable products and single-use packaging.

• Do a Bin Audit - Are you recycling, composting, or avoiding waste correctly?

• Coffee cups - Bring or borrow a reusable coffee cup or dine-in at your local café.

• Water bottles- BYO reusable water bottle instead of buying plastic ones.

• Reusable shopping bags - Bring your own shopping bags and help reduce plastic waste.

• Loose produce - Find plastic free alternatives when buying fruit & veg as well as baked goods such as rolls and pastries.

• Meat, fish & deli- Avoid the plastic trays used for meat, fish and deli items.

• Cleaning - Avoid using cleaning products packaged in single-use plastic.

• Laundry - Simple laundry choices can keep clothes smelling fresh while helping to reduce microplastics.

• Food Storage - Use alternatives to cling wrap and reduce plastic pollution.

• Dental care - Plastic-free toothbrushes, toothpaste and floss.

• Sanitary items - Alternatives to tampons and pads for a plastic free period.

• Soap - Swap liquid soap for bar soaps and avoid single-use plastic.

• Shaving -Swap disposable razors for reusable alternatives.

Find your tribe – at home, school or work and spread the word!

Sign up to commit to reducing single-use plastic https://bit.ly/4atzcQQ

The local winners of the international Blue Flag Award and the UK-wide Seaside Award have been revealed for 2024. 

Five council areas have been rewarded for their work in maintaining environmental excellence. 

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful announced that 9 beaches and 7 marinas earned the prestigious Blue Flag Award distinction after meeting world-class standards in criteria such as safety, accessibility, cleanliness, environmental education and, for beaches, water quality. 

The local success does not end with the Blue Flag. A further 6 beaches received Seaside Awards, the UK’s mark of quality that ensures visitors are guaranteed to find a clean, safe, attractive, and well-managed coastal stretch. 

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

‘We are incredibly pleased to see so many local beaches and marinas have been successful at this year’s awards. Each flag shows the public that these are sites worth visiting and cherishing. Keeping our beaches tidy is essential to our environmental and economic future. 

I want to thank the many workers across winning sites who helped make this happen. Their work is critically important in making Northern Ireland a place with the best European beaches and marinas.’ 

The Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir said: “I am delighted that once again so many of Northern Ireland’s beaches have received the coveted Blue Flag and Seaside Awards, and that our first-class marinas have also been recognised. These awards are a testament to the hard work and dedication of those who manage our beaches. The awards let our citizens and people around the world know that Northern Ireland is open for business and that our beaches and marinas are clean, well-managed and safe to enjoy.” 

Mayors from across councils, and beach and marina operators were invited to collect the awards at a presentation ceremony at the Slieve Donard Hotel, Newcastle, on 7th May. The occasion was organised by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, who manage the accreditations locally.  

This year’s awards ceremony was sponsored by the Slieve Donard Hotel, and supported by DAERA. 

The award-winning locations will now have their respective flags in place for the Northern Ireland bathing season, which runs from 01 June to 15 September. 

Notes to editors

Blue Flag Beach Award winners – Benone Beach, Castlerock Beach, Cranfield Bay, Downhill Strand, Murlough Beach, Portrush East Strand Beach, Portrush West Strand Beach, Tyrella Beach, Whiterocks Beach. 

Blue Flag Marina Award winners –Ballycastle Marina, Ballyronan Marina, Bangor Marina, Belfast Harbour Marina; Coleraine Marina, Portrush Harbour and Marina, Rathlin Marina. 

Seaside Award winners – Ballycastle Beach, Ballywalter South Beach, Cloughey Beach, Groomsport Beach, Millisle Beach, Waterfoot

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. 

DAERA Marine and Fisheries Division monitors Northern Ireland’s bathing water quality during the bathing season, which runs from 1 June through 15 September. During this time, water quality is assessed on 20 different occasions at each location.  The DAERA water quality assessment is used to determine which award is applicable.  The Blue Flag requires ‘Excellent’ status whereas the Seaside Award requires at least ‘Sufficient’ under the Bathing Water Regulations. 

Tackling Plastic in Sport

Maria McLaughlin    Wed 01 May 2024

Plastic pollution impacts all walks of life: climate change, wildlife and human health and generates lots of waste. While plastic can be useful it’s the overuse and disposal that causes problems. Sport has the unrivalled ability to motivate and inspire large numbers of people. You have the opportunity to stop plastic in sport – it will be a complete game changer!

To find out more go to: https://bit.ly/3wiotde

The maiden voyage of Dundrum Coastal Rowing Clubs new marine litter boat took place last Saturday 9th March 2024.

This new boat will allow for the recovery of litter in areas of Dundrum Bay that cannot be safely reached by foot. Speaking about the project funded by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful. Cathal Ó hÍr from Dundrum Coastal Rowing Club said, “We are delighted to have been awarded funding for the shallow draft boat, which will allow us to carry out regular clean ups along Dundrum Bay and its four contributing rivers. This boat will provide access to areas not safely reachable from land. This will help, not only to improve the shoreline in terms of biodiversity and aesthetics, but also the health and wellbeing of our local community. We will also be able to carry out educational awareness projects demonstrating how marine litter can damage our beautiful area and how with this boat we can alleviate this harm”.

Chris Gourley, Waste and Pollutions Solution Strategic Lead at Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful says, “This grant scheme is designed to reduce the environmental impact of litter on our marine eco systems. We have been delighted with the diverse range of innovative projects this year which want to tackle waste entering the marine environment as well as removing what is already there. Marine litter is a global challenge, affecting the world’s oceans, seas, coastlines and shores. A wide range of material such as plastics, metals and glass end up in our marine environments and these all decompose very slowly if at all. The most commonly found litter is plastic.”

Photo Caption: from left Orla McGrady Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, members of Dundrum Coastal Rowing Club - Cathal Ó hír, Adrian Mullan, Andrew Boyd (club chair) and Robert Graham.

Ulster University, in collaboration with environmental charity Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs is tackling plastic waste and climate change with the installation of a thought-provoking art installation which serves as a recycling bin, at its state-of-the-art Belfast City Campus.

Launching in February to capitalise on staff and students’ commitments to be more environmentally considerate, this ‘Single-Use Plastic Bottle Bin’ is designed to both remove plastic bottles from the general waste stream and increase awareness and responsibility amongst the Ulster University community on the threat of plastic pollution.

Linking into Ulster University’s Sustainability Strategy, the 6ft tall container has been created by local metal artist Peter Lorimer to evoke the appearance of a soft drink bottle. The visual impact of the design acts as a reminder of the scale of the plastic problem in Northern Ireland and as a nudge to the public to recycle plastic waste or better still refuse it altogether.

Marie-Louise Gaile, Sustainability Manager at Ulster University said: “At Ulster University we are responding to the climate emergency and biodiversity challenges through our Sustainable Futures for All strategy. The University provides vital research output and learning on the transition from a ‘take-make-waste’ linear economy to a circular economy where waste is designed out and materials are reused and remanufactured.

“We manage our University resources sustainably and support staff, students, and visitors to make greener choices while travelling to and when on campus. We re-use materials across the University through our sharing portal where otherwise unwanted items are posted and claimed by departments which helps reduce purchasing, disposal and environmental impacts and our general waste is diverted from landfill by being recycled or used to generate electricity.

“This engaging and visually-striking installation will further improve awareness, encourage action, and motivate our staff, students, and visitors to integrate sustainable behaviours into their daily lives and reduce harmful plastic waste.”

In helping to set up the initiative, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful aims to highlight the persistent problem with plastic pollution. The 2022 Marine Litter Report, produced by the charity, found that 90% of the litter found on our beaches in Northern Ireland is made of plastic. This is the highest since the survey began in 2012.

Chris Gourley, Waste and Pollutions Solutions Strategic Lead at Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful comments: “This waste project provides a transparent, imposing reminder of the scale of our plastic consumption. It’s not just about collecting plastics; it's a concerted effort to raise awareness of the significant impact of plastic pollution to address the serious issue of litter in our environment. By introducing these bins and promoting the principles of reduce, reuse, and recycle, we hope to encourage behaviours such as carrying reusable water bottles and seeking alternatives to single use plastics.”

The ‘Single-Use Plastic Bottle Bin’ has been installed through Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful’s ‘Tacking Plastic Northern Ireland’ programme, which is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. The programme encourages the public, councils, schools and businesses to avoid buying single-use plastic and to make a commitment to reduce pointless plastic by signing a ‘Plastic Promise’. Visit www.liveherelovehere.org/plasticpromise to find out more.

-ENDS-

For more information contact:

Maria McLaughlin

Tackling Plastic Communication Officer

maria.mclaughlin@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org

www.keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org

New Waste Prevention Guide for Business

Maria McLaughlin    Tue 09 Jan 2024

This new guide focuses on Single-Use Plastic Reduction and the Circular Economy. In this guide, we explore practical strategies and steps to help businesses transition towards a circular model, where waste is prevented where possible, then minimised, resources are conserved, and single-use plastic is eliminated. By embracing these principles, your business can play a crucial role in creating a more sustainable future while benefitting from cost savings and enhanced brand reputation.

Read it at:www.keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org/businesses-tackling-plastic

David McCann   Tue 31 Oct 2023   updated: Tue 20 Feb 2024

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful Launch Plastic Survey In The Sports Arena

Maria McLaughlin    Mon 16 Oct 2023   updated: Tue 21 Nov 2023

Insights needed on the impact of single-use plastics in sports

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful has launched a timely survey aimed at assessing the impact of single-use plastics in Northern Ireland's sports clubs.

The online questionnaire is part of the charity’s work on waste and pollution, which seeks to understand and reduce the impact of plastic pollution in the Northern Ireland environment.

Chris Gourley, Waste and Pollution Solutions Strategic Lead comments, “This survey is about us gaining valuable insights into how sports clubs tackle plastic waste, and the challenges they face when doing so.”

The “Single-Use Plastics Usage in Northern Ireland's Sports Clubs” survey is open to new responses until 13 November 2023.

All responses received will help to provide a comprehensive overview of the efforts being made in the sports community to reduce single-use plastics and ramp up efforts to shape effective strategies for the future.

Chris continues, “We already know that there are clubs doing sterling work to reduce waste and in particular single-use plastic waste. Sports clubs are in a unique position of influence and can really set a good example leading the way in sustainability”.

This survey and the subsequent report on the Impact of Single-Use Plastics Usage in Northern Ireland's Sports Clubs have been made possible through the support and collaboration of the Department of Agriculture, Environment, and Rural Affairs (DAERA). All responses will be kept confidential and anonymous.

Ends

For more information contact:

Maria McLaughlin

Tackling Plastic Communication Officer

maria.mclaughlin@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org

www.keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org

Pilot scheme tackled single-use plastic and period poverty

Belfast City Council is celebrating after winning a Behaviour Change Award for tackling single-use plastic.

The council was awarded the accolade by environmental charity Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful for its trailblazing free reusable period products project, which has been recognised as an impactful and pioneering initiative.

Chris Gourley, Waste and Pollutions Solutions Strategic Lead at Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful comments:

“The judges for this award were thoroughly impressed by the efficiency and thoughtfulness of this project, which not only tackles plastic waste but also addresses the pressing issue of period poverty. The project not only demonstrates concern for the environment but also showcases the council’s commitment to promoting inclusivity and sustainability within the community. By offering free reusable period products, the council have provided a practical solution to reduce single-use plastic waste, helped to break down stigmas, and ensured that all individuals have access to essential products without compromising the environment.”

Plastic pollution is a global concern that poses severe threats to ecosystems, marine wildlife, and human health. By implementing innovative solutions like providing free reusable period products, councils can actively contribute to the reduction of plastic waste and create a cleaner, healthier environment for generations to come.

Belfast City Councillor and Chair of People and Communities Committee, Micky Murray comments “Introducing small positive changes to all aspects of our everyday lives with a focus on tackling environmental issues can have such a positive impact. The amount of plastic within single use period products is staggering. This pilot project is such unique way of addressing an issue that I’m confident not many people knew about. Encouraging the use of reusable, non-plastic period products is helping provide a long-term solution to dealing with plastic contaminating our general waste.

“It’s fantastic to see Belfast City Council recognised for implementing this scheme and leading from the front to normalise the use of reusable period products. I want to congratulate all of our staff for their efforts in making the scheme such a wonderful success.”

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful opened applications for this award to all Northern Ireland councils, to acknowledge and bolster their commitment to changing behaviours and habits related to single-use plastic consumption.

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful works closely with local councils to encourage new ways to avoid the proliferation of pointless plastics in our communities and to pursue alternatives that are kinder to our planet. Outlined in our strategic plan is the aim to eliminate single-use plastics in-house in all Councils in Northern Ireland by 2023. All 11 councils have signed up to the Plastic Promise - this is a pledge that councils make to reduce and phase out their use of single use plastics from day-to-day operations. Councils can use the Plastic Promise to focus on eliminating specific plastic items, and they are invited to renew their pledge as they make progress.

Chris Gourley continues, “This project serves as a model for other councils in Northern Ireland facing similar challenges, inspiring them to adopt sustainable practices and behavioural changes. Well done Belfast City Council”.

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council Win Zero Waste Award

Maria McLaughlin    Tue 29 Aug 2023

Council commended for strong commitment to the waste hierarchy, emphasising waste minimisation, reuse, and recycling

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has been presented with a Zero Waste Award for its work on environmental initiatives that have gone that extra mile for waste management and sustainability in their local area.

The local government award, created by environmental charity Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, aims to recognise and celebrate the efforts of councils in Northern Ireland in reducing the amount of wasted resources.

Chris Gourley, Waste and Pollutions Solution Lead at Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful comments:

“We were particularly impressed by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s collaborative communication efforts with the Waste Resources Action Programme (WRAP), their provision of reuse workshops, and engagement with social enterprises to rethink waste as a valuable resource. Moreover, support for local communities through initiatives such as community fridges, the Christmas Toy Container, School Uniform Scheme, and Cloth Nappy Scheme showcases their dedication to translating education and communication into tangible, on-the-ground actions that make a real difference.

Chris continues, “Winning the Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful Zero Waste Award is a testament to the council’s hard work, innovative thinking, and commitment to sustainable practices. I would like to congratulate Mid and East Antrim Borough Council for all their efforts, which are committed to the ethos of reduce, reuse and recycle. We hope this award will go some way to building further sustainable practices that reduce environmental impact. Thank you to all the councils that submitted schemes. It’s very evident that there is lots of good work going on.”

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Alderman Gerardine Mulvenna, who received the award on behalf of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council said:

“We are delighted to have achieved such an important ‘Zero Waste’ award 2023 with Tackling Plastic Northern Ireland. Now more than ever, we understand the importance of waste minimisation, re-valuing unavoidable ‘waste’ as a usable resource and to support a circular economy. We will continue to promote this to our residents and stakeholders, to engender behavioural change and to move away from a ‘throw away’ society.”

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful created the Zero Waste Award in 2022/2023 to reward positive local council contributions to sustainability and to recognise efforts in reducing the amount of wasted resources.

Councils in Northern Ireland have all signed up to the Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful Plastic Promise which recognises that councils are in a position to lead, influence and make change. Each of the 11 Councils have pledged to reduce plastic waste by eliminating avoidable single-use plastics (SUPs) across services, offices, green spaces and events by employing the refuse, reduce, and recycle ethos; switching to alternatives wherever possible.

By achieving a Zero Waste Award, councils are able to celebrate and promote not only their successes, but they also have the opportunity to collaborate and extend their work with more suppliers and likeminded organisations.

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, working in partnership with Moy Park, is delighted to announce a new biodiversity recovery project for schools.

The Hedgerow Heroes Project will benefit a total of 33 schools over the next three years, with 11 schools selected to participate each year. Each school will receive 20m of native hedgerow, planted by students during one of three project workshops. Education will be provided on correct hedgerow management, and schools will receive a follow up visit to support their developing hedges.

This project, and others like it, are much needed. Northern Ireland is the 12th worst performing region in the world for biodiversity loss. Native hedgerow plants like hawthorn, blackberry and hazel maximise habitat opportunities and resources for wildlife. Over the course of the coming three years, this project will provide a total of 660m of new hedgerow for Northern Ireland, providing significant opportunities for biodiversity recovery.

Hedgerows also have an important role to play in reaching net zero: the UK Committee on Climate Change has recommended a 40% increase to the UK hedgerow network.

Emma Denton, Biodiversity Recovery Coordinator at Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful said, “We’re pleased to launch this important project in partnership with Moy Park. Northern Ireland’s biodiversity is rapidly declining; urgent action is needed to protect our wildlife for future generations to enjoy. The Hedgerow Heroes project is an exciting opportunity for schools to learn about biodiversity recovery, while also improving their local environment in a practical way.”

Declan Cunningham, Head of Sustainability and Risk at Moy Park said:

“We’re delighted to partner with Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and schools across NI to improve biodiversity. Hedgerows are vital for providing shelter for wildlife as well as food and foraging opportunities for birds. This initiative is a great way to help children learn more about nurturing healthy habitats in their local environment, and become Hedgerow Heroes.

“At Moy Park our ambition is to reach Net Zero by 2040, and biodiversity plays a key part in our sustainability strategy to make this happen. We have set up biodiversity teams at our sites across the UK, as well as working with schools and community groups to improve biodiversity in our local areas.”

A competition to select participating schools will launch next week- keep an eye on the Eco Schools NI website, www.eco-schoolsni.org , and social media channels for more details.

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.

Fill Your Bottle, Not A Landfill!

Maria McLaughlin    Wed 14 Jun 2023

Public encouraged to use their free local water refill station

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful along with the 11 Northern Ireland Councils are supporting World Refill Day on Friday 16th June – a global day of action to prevent plastic pollution and help people live with less waste.

The environmental charity and local councils are asking the public – to refill, reuse and reduce when it comes to single-use plastic bottles and to make use of over 300 refill stations available across Northern Ireland.

Chris Gourley, Waste and Pollution Solutions Strategic Lead, at Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful comments, “We want to encourage people here in Northern Ireland to join millions of people around the world to prevent plastic pollution. Friday 16th June is a day to make the change to live more sustainably and become more environmentally aware. Water refill stations are an easy way to start making a difference. Everyone can start right away – all you need is a reusable water bottle, which makes it easier to stay hydrated whilst not having the expense of buying single-use plastic bottled water. It’s a practical, environmentally friendly solution.”

Water-refill stations are available across council facilities, including parks, leisure centres, community centres as well as shops, businesses and the high street, ensuring that members of the public are never far away from access to free water on the go.

Although there are different types of water refill points available across Northern Ireland, all stations are designed to serve the ultimate purpose of helping to reduce plastic pollution and provide the public with free drinking water.

Chris Gourley continues, “The average person in the UK now uses around 150 plastic water bottles a year! Many of these are single-use, which are then discarded and end up polluting our environment or clogging up landfills. So the message is simple refill, reuse and reduce, and get involved in the campaign by:

1. Carrying your own water bottle;

2. Filling up for free; and

3. Spreading the word about refill stations.”

At present, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and councils are working together to recognise the importance of a convenient water refill network and to improve the information available to the public.

So when out and about, look out for refill stations around the country and become familiar with the locations. We can all do our bit for the environment. We urgently need to shift from our disposable, single-use culture to a more sustainable, circular future, with reuse and refill at the centre.

Many councils will be able to signpost you to the refill stations in your area. Contact your local council for more details.

Five council areas rewarded for excellent environmental management

The local winners of the international Blue Flag Award and the UK-wide Seaside Award have been revealed for 2023. 

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful announced that 18 beaches and marinas at home earned the prestigious Blue Flag Award distinction after reaching world-class standards in criteria that includes water quality, safety, accessibility, cleanliness and environmental education.

A further nine beaches received Seaside Awards, the UK’s mark of quality that ensures visitors are guaranteed to find a clean, safe, attractive and well-managed coastal stretch. Seven Seaside Award sites returned excellent water-quality results, while two more rated as good, the second highest classification in this area.

The benchmarks for blue spaces were shared across councils, with Causeway Coast and Glens claiming 12 awards and Mid and East Antrim landing three Blue Flags and three Seaside Awards. 

There were also five flags for aquatic spots in Ards and North Down, and three wins for beaches in Newry, Mourne and Down. Ballyronan Marina in Mid Ulster retained its Blue Flag status for the 14th consecutive year.

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

"We are extremely pleased that 27 beaches and marinas have achieved either a Blue Flag Award or Seaside Award. Each flag is a symbol that these special places are managed to an excellent standard and an important trust signal to the public that they can expect a high-quality experience when they visit one of these award-winning sites.

"At a time when budgets are tight and difficult decisions are never far away, we want to thank councils and other organisations for continuing to invest in our beaches and marinas that are much loved and valued by tourists and people at home alike."

Owen Lyttle, DAERA’s Director of Marine and Fisheries said “We are delighted to see so many beaches and marinas awarded for their excellent environmental management. The assessment of water quality is a core component of these Awards and highlights that Northern Ireland continues to have some of the cleanest beaches and marinas in the world. We will keep working with all those who help to manage these valuable blue spaces to ensure that Northern Ireland continues to have beaches and marinas we can be proud of.”

Beach and marina operators and Mayors from across councils were invited to collect the awards at a presentation ceremony in The Arcadia, Portrush on 25 May. The occasion was organised by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, who manage the accreditations locally. 

The award-winning locations will now have their respective flags in place for the duration of the Northern Ireland bathing season, which runs from 01 June to 15 September.

To see the full list of Blue Flag Award and Seaside Award winners, visit www.keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org

Ends

Notes for editors

1. Blue Flag Beach Award winners – Benone Beach, Castlerock Beach, Cranfield Bay, Downhill Beach, Murlough Beach, Portrush East Strand Beach, Portrush West Strand Beach, Tyrella Beach, Whiterocks Beach.

2. Blue Flag Marina Award winners – Blue Flag Award Marinas winners – Ballycastle Marina, Ballyronan Marina, Bangor Marina, Carrickfergus Marina, Coleraine Marina, Glenarm Marina, Portglenone Marina, Portrush Harbour and Marina, Rathlin Marina.

3. Seaside Award winners – Ballycastle Beach, Ballygally Beach, Ballywalter South Beach, Brown's Bay Beach, Carnlough Beach, Cloughey Beach, Groomsport Beach, Millisle Beach, Waterfoot Beach.

4. Northern Ireland’s bathing water quality is monitored by DAERA Marine and Fisheries Division during the bathing season. The bathing season runs from 01 June through to 15 September, during which time water quality is assessed on 20 different occasions at each location.

5. Bathing water is monitored at 26 sites in Northern Ireland, with results classified as excellent, good, sufficient or poor.

6. In 2023, 18 out of 26 bathing-water sites received either a Blue Flag Award or Seaside Award

7. 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.

For further information about the Blue Flag Award and Seaside Award, please contact Claire Irwin at claire.irwin@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org

Environmental charity Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful has developed a new plastics guide to encourage all schools in Northern Ireland to eliminate their use of single-use plastics.

The free resource, entitled ‘How to remove pointless plastics from your school’, asks senior leaders in schools to swap items such as plastic bags, straws, bottles and food packaging in favour of sustainable alternatives, and invites them to start a conversation with pupils about the effects discarded plastics have on the environment and wildlife.

Chris Gourley, Waste and Pollution Solutions Strategic Lead at Keep NI Beautiful comments, “We do not expect schools to be totally plastic-free. Our aim is tackle the single-use plastic: the unnecessary paraphernalia that’s everywhere. It’s these throwaway plastic items that are having a huge impact on our environment, and with some simple changes in schools, they can be eradicated.”

So how can teachers begin to make a difference? The guide explains how starting a conversation with pupils can really have a big impact. Already in Northern Ireland schools such a St Colm’s Draperstown and Willowbridge School in Enniskillen have harnessed their pupil power and implemented changes through the charity’s Eco-Schools NI programme, cutting their use of plastic cutlery in canteens and using refillable drinks bottles.

Funded by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), the booklet is designed to enable schools to make a difference to plastic pollution as soon as possible. There are five practical steps to follow so that schools can cut down on the amount of plastic that is used inside and outside of the classroom, helping to create a cleaner, greener environment.

Chris continues, “We want to support teachers in enthusing and preparing our young people to solve the plastic-pollution challenge, while helping their schools and local environment to become plastic-waste free.”

The guide can be downloaded from https://bit.ly/41XvZor

Ends

For more information contact:

Maria McLaughlin

Tackling Plastic Communication Officer

maria.mclaughlin@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org

www.keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org

Notes to editors

Included picture of cover of new e doc for schools

Plastic Facts

1. 81% of litter found on NI beaches in 2021 was plastic.

2. Over 7.5 billion tonnes of plastic has never been recycled. If measured in plastic bottles, this could cover the whole of NI (CIWM)

3. Single-use plastics are in people's lives for an average of 2 minutes.

4. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is 6 times the size of the UK! This is just 1 of 5 plastic patches in our oceans (The Ocean Cleanup).

5. There could be more plastic in our sea than fish by the year 2050 (Ellen MacArthur Foundation).

6. 100,000 marine mammals & turtles are killed by marine plastic pollution every year (KIMO).

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.

About Eco-Schools NI

Eco-Schools is a programme for environmental management, certification and sustainable development education for schools. Eco-Schools was developed in 1994 on the basis of the need for involving young people in finding solutions to environmental and sustainable development challenges at the local level. The programme was initiated by member organisations of the Foundation for Environmental Education with the support of the European Commission. Eco-Schools shares the same methodology and concept across 74 participating countries and with 20 million participating students, and is identified by the Eco-Schools and Green Flag logos. Northern Ireland was the first country in the world to award a Green Flag to one of its schools. Visit www.eco-schoolsni.org for further information.

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful is launching our manifesto for the 2023 Local Elections.

In our manifesto you will find concrete ideas for how local government can help fight the climate emergency.

We have designed six simple steps for how you and your colleagues can lead the change for our planet.

Northern Ireland can become leaders in how we protect our environment and this manifesto helps chart the way.

We would be delighted to have your support for our ambitious proposals. Please help spread the word.

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KNIB Manifesto

A Day of Sprucing-Up The Office Garden

Steve McCready   Wed 19 Apr 2023

Our office sits just off the Albertbridge Road in East Belfast, and it has very little green space.

That’s perhaps a surprising admission for an environmental charity. But we are very fortunate to have a little verdant oasis in this concrete jungle, and we are pleased to share it with the teams at Business in the Community (BITC) and WRAP.

Our garden acts as a resting point for many birds on their daily journeys across the city - we even have a robin who likes to inspect our work - and it also provides habitat for many invertebrates.

Nevertheless, we knew that we could increase our efforts to improve the quality and quantity of these habitats. We also wanted to attract more pollinators into our green space. That’s why, just before Easter, working alongside our building buddies at BITC and WRAP, we got busy with the bee-eautification of our little patch of paradise.

Here are the steps that we took to move us further along our own journey of biodiversity recovery:

• We sourced flowering perennial plants, such as achillea, rudbeckia, ox-eye daisy, nemesia and heathers specifically to attract pollinators and provide shelter for invertebrate populations. During the planting, we found a few queen bumblebees and a ladybird, so these flowers will provide them with new habitat opportunities. We used peat-free compost during the planting to reduce our impact on peat bogs (which are important ‘carbon sinks’ in the fight against climate change);

• Noted that the main planter in the garden had fallen into disrepair and arranged for replacement wood. However, the original wood will remain in the garden as an insect metropolis to retain the habitat for the many woodlice that we found;

• Planted Clematis varieties alongside the iron fences to soften their industrial appearance and to provide food and shelter to invertebrates;

• Established a new veggie patch by layering recycled cardboard and covering it with peat-free compost. We hope that we can visit the garden for lunchtime in the near future and maybe even steal some snacks from the veggie bed – reducing our food miles and making sure to leave some for the earthworms; and

• Marked out large swathes of grass for transforming into natural long-flowering meadow. We are reducing the frequency of grass cutting to allow native wildflowers to come through, such as dandelions, clovers and daisies – all of which are essential for supporting a thriving population of pollinators! No Mo May is coming, so why not give this a go yourself in your own garden?

This is, of course, just a start. Our next steps are to install bird and bat boxes and bug hotels to provide further habitat opportunities and shelter from bad weather. With all this hard planting and maintenance, we will also need to put in a compost bin to make everything more sustainable.

Why not try some of these nature-nurturing actions yourself? Then you can join us in setting up your own monthly gardening club with fellow work colleagues or friends and family!

Environmental charity Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful has today launched a Plastic Free Events Guide. The manual aims to support positive change and build momentum to tackle the plastic problem here in Northern Ireland.

Funded by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), the guide provides wide-ranging actions that go beyond decreasing individual plastic consumption and focuses on how events, regardless of their size, can implement practical achievable measures for long-term change.

The guide is geared towards encouraging local businesses, councils, clubs, and all events organisers to reduce their dependence on single-use plastics, highlighting reusable alternatives that minimise unnecessary waste and pollution.

Chris Gourley, Waste and Pollution Solutions Strategic Lead at Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful comments, “Our aim is to increase awareness of the issues surrounding the use of plastics and in particular single-use plastics, which are typically thrown away after just one use. We want to motivate action to reduce consumption and get people to reuse and recycle. So, if you are an event organiser or venue, this guide is most certainly for you.”

The electronic booklet ensures that with some creative planning and practical steps, groups can work together on a journey to reduce their plastic footprint and create low – or zero – plastic events. It comes complete with 10 simple steps that organisations can follow along with two inspirational case studies from right here in Northern Ireland.

Chris continues, “Changes don’t have to cost a lot; in fact, by cutting down on some plastic-riddled giveaways, you would actually be saving money. But most importantly, by cutting down on single-use plastic, you are working towards repairing our environment and protecting our future.”

The Plastic Free Event Guide is available to download from www.keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org/businesses-tackling-plastic

Welcoming the introduction of a Deposit Return Scheme

David McCann   Fri 27 Jan 2023

The recent announcement of Deposit Return Schemes (DRS) for England, Wales and Northern Ireland is welcome news, and will have a positive environmental impact for Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland’s Deposit Return Scheme, announced by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) and set to be introduced in 2025, will incentivise correct disposal of single-use drinks containers through a small, refundable deposit. Materials captured in the NI scheme will be single-use drinks containers made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic, steel, and aluminium.

The need for such a scheme is clear. During Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful’s 2021/22 Cleaner Neighbourhoods Survey, 50% of transects (streets, roads and reactional spaces) were recorded as having some form of drinking litter present. This ranged from plastic bottles and metal cans to caps/lids and straws.

The 2019 Litter Composition Analysis revealed that, at any one time, there are potentially 114,368 plastic bottles on our streets, and 158,556 drinks cans (alcoholic and non-alcoholic). This is despite spending tens of millions of pounds on street cleansing.

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful has consistently advocated for a Deposit Return Scheme, most recently in our No More Time to Waste policy document published earlier this month. This is because Deposit Return Schemes have the potential to increase recycling rates, reduce carbon emissions and reduce litter. The scheme should also greatly reduce the number of plastic items reaching our seas, therefore helping Northern Ireland play its part in tackling marine plastic pollution.

We note that there are differences between the DRS schemes being introduced across the UK. Scotland will launch a DRS in August 2023, while those in England, Wales and Northern Ireland won’t be introduced until 2025. Another point of difference is that the schemes in Scotland and Wales will include glass containers, while those in NI and England will not.

While we would welcome a universal ‘all-in’ Deposit Return Scheme, introduced across the whole of the UK, and preferably also Ireland, at the same time, and accepting the same material types, the scheme outlined will nonetheless have a positive impact for Northern Ireland. We would like to see glass considered for inclusion at a future date and will be calling for any scheme implemented in NI to allow for this expansion in future, thus removing another dangerous and often littered product from our environment.

Our CEO, Dr Ian Humphreys said, “While it would be great to see a consistent DRS scheme being introduced across the UK and Ireland, this remains good news for Northern Ireland. By adopting new progressive policies such as a Deposit Return Scheme we can positively change the way key sectors operate. In the past, we have seen new policies such as the Carrier Bag Levy achieve a great deal and this has now become just a normal part of our retail experience.”

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful is launching our policy for Single Use Plastics and Textiles. This document outlines the politics and future direction that we need to take in Northern Ireland. As a public representative, we want all levels of our government to pursue the sensible and deliverable policies outlined in it.

The aim of this policy brief is to support you in your work of changing Northern Ireland for the better.

We really have no more time to waste.

Read our policy in full.

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Maximum Littering and Dog Fouling Fines Spike to £200

David McCann   Thu 22 Dec 2022

Littering and dog fouling fixed penalty notices are set to increase across Northern Ireland under new regulations introduced by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs.

Taking effect from 30 December 2022, the maximum penalties for offenders will rise to £200, more than double the existing fine of £80 for both pollution issues.

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. However, the scourge of litter is harming our precious environment and dog fouling is something most of us will have seen far too often in our local areas.

“This new measure to increase the maximum fixed penalty for littering and dog fouling offences from £80 to £200 will help us achieve our draft Environment Strategy goal to create cleaner communities with less litter by 2030. We all have our part to play and I would like to thank everyone who has removed litter from our environment and would encourage everyone not to litter.”

Welcoming the increased penalties, Dr Ian Humphreys, CEO of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful said, “In times when the cost of living is going through the roof this is one unwanted cost we will all want to avoid. Putting litter in the bin is simple and can now save you a hefty fine and a possible criminal record.”

The increase fines deliver on a target set out in the DAERA-led draft Environment Strategy that aims to create cleaner communities with less litter by 2030. The strategy also aspires to bring about a societal behavioural shift, including making littering socially unacceptable by 2035.

In their Cleaner Neighbourhood Reports 2021/22, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful reported that 2,052 fixed penalty notices were handed out by local councils for littering behaviour in the years 2019/2020. A further 279 fines were issued for dog fouling. The charity estimates that a total of £31,390,472 was spent on street cleaning across Northern Ireland in the same period.

Outside of the cost to the public purse, the dual problems pose significant threats to human and animal health, with dog fouling potentially leading to toxocariasis or blindness, while plastic littering risks ingestion from wildlife that can work its way up the food chain.

One of the businesses Tackling Plastic in N. Ireland is the Ionad Fíona Wine Centre (www.AbsoluteOrganicWine.com ) in Draperstown. Established in 1984 the company began specialising in organic and vegan wine in 2009 for those also on a journey of sustainability and accountability.

The Ionad Fíona Wine Centre is certainly doing its bit as it tries to make the business more environmentally friendly by removing single use plastic from deliveries and balancing its carbon footprint by planting trees and re-wilding land on their estate.

The team Eugene McKenna and Brigid McKenna Moore, from the Wine Centre are both wine and environmental enthusiasts as Eugene explains, “Our mission is to provide responsible quality products so removing single use plastics from our deliveries was a deliberate and conscious decision. We want to encourage consumers to reflect on the journey, delivery and origin of products as we believe that every business and person can make a difference when it comes to being environmentally responsible”.

Eugene continues, “We are trying to engage with organisations like Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful so that we can communicate our mission with authority and integrity. We are mostly an online delivery company but we have already completed our Carbon Literacy Training and are now tackling single use plastic throughout the business.”

Future plans

Next year they are planning the first Organic and Vegan Wine Festival for November 2023. Brigid explains, “We are passionate about the mission of vegan wines and food- we would like to help enlighten people and provide products that take care of the environment and preserves it for future generations. We are proud to be a wine company that focuses on organic, biodynamic, vegan wine, we will always try to keep things real. Our philosophy is to provide all our products and services in a sustainable manner”.

If you would like to get involved in Tackling Plastic in your business please get in touch info@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.com

#TacklingPlasticNI #PlasticFree #CarbonLiterate #EUWWR22

Environmental charity, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful has released its annual Cleaner Neighbourhoods report, which reveals a snapshot of the local environmental quality of all eleven council areas across Northern Ireland. While the overall picture of the streets has slightly improved after a worrying spike during the lockdowns of 2020, drinks packaging, including plastic bottles and disposable coffee cups, continues to be a major problem, with rural roads being disproportionately affected.

The report also recommends the use of nudge behaviour from councils to encourage the public to use bins where available. The number of areas surveyed that failed to meet acceptable standards of cleanliness is revealed within the report, down 3% from last year’s results with 15% of the areas surveyed now below standard. Dog fouling has also returned to pre-pandemic levels, following a dramatic increase in 2020, with instances of dog fouling recorded down 7% from last year to 6%.

Commenting on the report, Charmaine Beer from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs said, “Whilst payments for ground litter by producers of packaging are not currently planned for Northern Ireland, they will pay costs for the management of packaging in street bins and will also pay for prevention activity for littered packaging such as communication campaigns targeting litterers. Under the new Extended Producer Responsibility scheme payments will be made by packaging producers to NI councils for management of household packaging waste from 2024, which will amount to £35million per year in NI. There will be clearer binary labelling on all packaging from 2026 to help consumers recycle correctly and plastic flexibles and film will have household collection for recycling from 2027. All of these will provide a great incentive to do the right thing.”

The findings from this year’s survey took a close analysis of litter related to food packaging, particularly drinks, with plastic bottle, hot drinks cups, lids and straws found in 50% of the areas surveyed. Most surprisingly, 90% of rural roads featured littered drinks packaging and cigarette butts remained the top item of litter found in NI, with 65% of all areas surveyed having so form of cigarette litter present.

Dr Ian Humphreys, CEO of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, said, “With the environment once again on the top of the agenda as COP27 is underway, we are reminded that action is required globally and here in Northern Ireland.

“The amount of litter we are now having to deal with is extremely concerning – it’s not only unsightly but it has a real impact on council budgets, wasting money that could be spent on other public services and helping deal with the cost-of-living crisis. There’s no evidence to suggest that human nature has fundamentally changed over the past number of decades, but what has changed is the amount of plastic packaging being produced, which grown exponentially over the past 15 years, which is why it’s misleading to lay the problem entirely at the feet of the public. We need to have an honest conversation about this issue and that is why manufacturers and retailers need to step up and take their share of the cost of cleaning up the mess on our streets.”

Although the report reflects the army of litter-picking volunteers across Northern Ireland doing their best to keep our streets free from litter and a safe place for the public to come together, Charity CEO says more needs to be done to try and stop litter at the source.

Ian added, “We are very disappointed in the recent announcement that litter will not be retained in UK wide Extended Producer Responsibility legislation. This means the loss of millions of pounds annually which would have funded clean-up operations and alleviated the pressure on ratepayers. We believe this is a missed opportunity to ensure that packaging producers take on their share of the responsibility for this societal problem.”

For more information and to read the full Cleaner Neighbourhoods report visit: Cleaner Neighbourhoods Report (keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org)

Statement on COP27

Steve McCready   Tue 01 Nov 2022

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful supports the principle of COP. We want to see rapid global action to tackle the climate emergency, and believe that through a mix of legislation compelling new innovative approaches and behaviour change, we can make meaningful progress. It is, therefore, essential that governments and relevant sectors meet under one roof to understand and discuss the challenges of the crisis.

At a local level, we also want to see maximum engagement from Northern Ireland at COP27, so that we can play our necessary part. Specifically, we need to progress the plans to make the Climate Change Act a reality, and this will require bringing forward the Environment Strategy. The climate emergency must be a top priority for a new Executive.

We strongly embrace the theme of this year’s conference, which emphasises collective and urgent action. Hope exists and is possible, but global action must empathically deliver on the targets set for our climate, nature and environment.

A world-class leadership programme designed to unearth, inspire, and equip 30 ‘exceptional potential leaders’ under the age of 30 has been launched in Northern Ireland for the first time by environmental charity Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, and will be delivered in partnership with the North American Association for Environmental Education and Podiem. Financial support for the programme has been provided by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), Pacem, Pinsent Masons and Danske Bank.

‘30 Under 30’ (30U30) will offer successful applicants the opportunity to attend a series of six prestigious, half-day workshops delivered by internationally renowned thinkers and leaders. The focus will be on inspiring and enabling participants to develop their skills, confidence and leadership potential in the company of a supportive and environmentally focused peer group. At the end of the programme, the top five class members will receive a bursary to pursue their own transformational project and one class member will receive a scholarship to attend the North American AEE Conference later in 2023.

Edwin Poots MLA, Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs said of the new programme:

“Talented young people from Northern Ireland have, for many years, benefitted from international development opportunities such as the Washington Ireland Programme and others, and have gone on to inspiring leadership roles in many different spheres. The 30 Under 30 programme is very much the environmental equivalent of these prestigious initiatives and will give young people with a passion for the environment the chance to learn, to connect with others and ultimately to shine. And they will be able to avail of this opportunity and international connections from right here in Belfast. My department is very proud to support Northern Ireland’s inaugural 30U30 class and looks forward to proudly observing the future success of these young environmental champions.”

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful’s Chief Executive, Dr Ian Humphreys said:

“I have for several years found inspiration in the North American Association for Environmental Education’s 30 Under 30 programme and have dreamt of bringing it to Northern Ireland, where I know we have such a wealth of young talent. I’ve watched young leaders like Emer Rafferty and Rosalind Skillen come through our Eco-Schools and Young Reporters for the Environment programme, then the international 30 Under 30 programme, to a point where they are now regularly speaking up for Northern Ireland’s young people on the world stage at international events like COP. I look forward to seeing more young environmental leaders forging ahead in other spheres of our society, in business, in agriculture, in science and in politics; and I very much see this new Northern Ireland chapter of 30U30 as a way of enabling that to happen.”

Kevin Kelly, Founder and Director of Podiem said:

“Over the next 6 months the 30U30 participants will hear from some of the most inspirational thought-leaders in Europe and will return to their sectors and fields of interest with the leadership tools to drive positive climate action. We are delighted to be working with a premium group of partners on a programme which marks the next phase in our Sustain Exchange ecosystem which consists of a proactive community of planet-conscious leaders and organisations”.

To apply to the 30U30 programme, young people between the ages of 16 and 30 are invited to complete a 20 minute form and short video application at www.sustain-exchange.com/30-under-30. The closing date is Sunday 23rd October at 11.59pm. Successful applicants will be required to be available for programme workshops on six dates (Thursdays and Fridays in Belfast) between 27 October to 24 March 2023.

In addition, the first 40 applicants to the programme will secure a complimentary place at the Sustain Exchange Summit at Titanic Belfast on 27 October, featuring an influential line up of speakers.

Ends.

Notes to Editors

Photo captions: Environment Minister Edwin Poots MLA launches 30 Under 30 at Titanic Belfast with representatives from Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, Podiem, Danske Bank, Pacem and Pinsent Masons

Environment Minister Edwin Poots MLA launches 30 Under 30 at Titanic Belfast with (left to right) Elizabeth Crossan, Pacem, Richard Murphy, Pinsent Masons and Chris Martin, Danske Bank

For more information on 30 Under 30, please contact Chris Walsh, Communications Coordinator, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful.

christopher.walsh@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org / 07469 671432

Environmental charity, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful has released its latest Marine Litter Report, which reveals more than double the amount of litter on Northern Ireland’s beaches from the same period last year.

The 2021 Marine Litter Report (reports are published retrospectively) shows that, on average, 762 items of litter were found per 100 metres of beach surveyed; up from 375 items the previous year. A total of 36,587 items of litter were found throughout the survey period on Northern Ireland’s twelve survey beaches.

The surveys in Northern Ireland are funded by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) and the data collected is fed into the International OSPAR Commission database to help in developing a global scientific understanding of this significant problem and to inform actions to address the issue.

Community-based campaign, Live Here Love Here is supporting communities across Northern Ireland to pitch in and help tackle the issue at local level and has issued a final call to apply for its Marine Litter Capital Grants Scheme. Funded by DAERA, applications are open to organisations and groups from across Northern Ireland until 16 September 2022.

Now in its second year, the scheme is making £198,000 available for ideas that help to prevent litter from entering Northern Ireland’s waterways, including lakes, coastlines and riverbanks.

The Marine Litter Report once again names and shames the worst culprits in terms of the type of materials found at the beach. Of the top ten most recorded items, five were made of plastic and polystyrene, many of which were broken down into small pieces. 81% of all litter recorded was plastic, which commonly includes drinks and fast food or snack packaging and lids.

Other commonly found items included discarded PPE as well as short pieces of string, cord and rope, and heavy-duty gloves, which saw a resurgence during the survey period, despite having decreased steadily in previous years.

Commenting on the Marine Litter Report, Environment Minister Edwin Poots MLA said, “Naturally, I am disappointed that the levels of litter recorded on our beautiful coastline increased during 2021. It is especially disappointing considering the downward trend which started back in 2018.

I remain optimistic, however, that the coordinated approach my Department has adopted, including forthcoming legislation to increase the maximum fixed penalty available to councils for litter offences to £200, will ultimately be successful and the blight of plastic pollution will one day be a thing of the past.

I am proud that my Department has sponsored initiatives such as the Marine Litter Capital Grants scheme which is managed by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful. The scheme funded a range of novel and interesting projects during 2021. The 2022 scheme is now open for applications and I would encourage everyone to get involved.

Finally, I would like to thank everyone who has removed litter from our environment and would encourage everyone not to litter; please leave no trace.”

Helen Tomb, from Live Here Love Here partnership, which is managed by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, and which administers the marine litter grants, added:

“Marine litter, particularly plastics, has an incredibly negative effect on animals and eventually on humans, as it proceeds up the food chain. We are proud to deliver the Marine Litter Capital Grants scheme for a second consecutive year. Funded by DAERA, it was extremely successful last year with a real mix of practical and creative entries. The overall aim is to prevent litter from reaching the marine environment, and as 80 per cent of marine litter comes from land-based activities, grants are available for projects right across Northern Ireland. The deadline for applications is fast approaching, so we would strongly encourage those eligible to apply and help us to make Northern Ireland cleaner, greener and safer.”

Read the full Marine Litter Report at www.keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org/marinelitter. More information on the Marine Litter Capital Grants is available at www.liveherelovehere.org/marinelittergrants.

Ends.

For more information and interview requests please contact Navigator Blue:

Annette McCormick

a.mccormick@navigatorblue.com

075 6387 4593

Translink Targets Plastic Pollution At Belfast Station

Steve McCready   Mon 15 Aug 2022

NI’s biggest transport provider Translink has continued its effort to tackle plastic waste and climate change with the introduction of a specially designed recycling bin at its Lanyon Place Train Station in Belfast. Launched in partnership with environmental charity Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, the ‘Single-Use Plastic Bottle Bin’ will both remove plastic bottles from the general waste stream and grow awareness for Translink commuters on the threat of plastic pollution.

Linking into Translink’s Climate Positive Strategy, the 6ft tall, purpose-made receptacle has been created by local metal artist Peter Lorimer to resemble the appearance of a soft drink bottle. The visual nature of the design and the educational information it displays will serve as a reminder of the scale of the plastic problem in Northern Ireland and a nudge to the public to recycle plastic waste or refuse it at source.

The initiative builds on the success of a separate single use plastics bottle bin that Translink installed at its North West Transport Hub in Derry-Londonderry. In operation for over 12 months now, positive passenger engagement with the bin has resulted in the removal of over 40,000 plastic bottles from waste generated at the station.

John Thompson, Head of Health, Safety and Environment at Translink said: “Translink recognises that it has a significant role to play in leading the transformation of public transport in NI. Translink’s commitments through the Better. Connected Strategy and our Climate Positive Strategy is creating a path for a healthier, greener and more sustainable future for generations to come. We are driving out waste and protecting and enhancing our natural heritage by reducing waste through employee and customer awareness, and through robust waste segregation, reducing the over-extraction of finite natural resources. This initiative at Lanyon Place will equip us to take another step forward in Translink’s journey to zero-waste and further improve awareness amongst our staff, customers and the public on the need to reduce the use of single-use plastics.”

Yvonne Leslie, Single-Use Plastics Policy Adviser at DAERA said: “DAERA is delighted to fund this initiative in conjunction with Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful. Initiatives like these bins will really make a difference to protect our natural environment. Of course, we would like to see the use of more reusable bottles and a reduction in the amount of single use plastic being purchased where possible, but this initiative by Keep NI Beautiful and Translink will help reduce the amount of litter on our streets and in turn prevent plastic from entering our seas.”

In helping to set up the initiative, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful aims to highlight the persistent, council-wide problem with plastic pollution that has been particularly widely reported in Belfast in recent months. The charity will soon publish their annual Cleaner Neighbourhood Report 2021/22, which indicates that 50% of 554 areas surveyed across the country contained some form of drinks-related litter present. Their Litter Composition Report and the Litter Composition Producers Report will follow next year and take a deeper dive into the plastics issue.

Chris Gourley, Waste and Pollutions Solutions Strategic Lead at Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful said: “These ad-hoc bins are a transparent, living and inescapable monument to the mountain of plastics that we continue to create at all times. They provide another space to manage the plastic waste that passes through a particularly busy station, but much more importantly, they remind us that the plastic problem is still very much with us as an issue and that we need to abandon our single-use culture.”

The ‘Single-Use Plastic Bottle Bin’ has been installed through Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful’s ‘Tacking Plastic Northern Ireland’ programme, which is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. The programme encourages the public, councils, schools and businesses to avoid buying single-use plastic and to make a commitment to reduce pointless plastic by signing a ‘Plastic Promise’. Visit www.liveherelovehere.org/plasticpromise to find out more.

[Photo Caption] From Front to Back: Christopher Walsh, Communications Officer, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and Yvonne Leslie, Single-Use Plastics Policy Advisor, DAERA join Rachel McCann, Environment Team, Translink and Owen Cormican, Facilities Manager – Property Department, Translink for the launch of the single use plastics bottle bin at Lanyon Place Station, Belfast

Translink Targets Plastic Pollution At Belfast Station

Steve McCready   Mon 15 Aug 2022

NI’s biggest transport provider Translink has continued its effort to tackle plastic waste and climate change with the introduction of a specially designed recycling bin at its Lanyon Place Train Station in Belfast. Launched in partnership with environmental charity Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, the ‘Single-Use Plastic Bottle Bin’ will both remove plastic bottles from the general waste stream and grow awareness for Translink commuters on the threat of plastic pollution.

Linking into Translink’s Climate Positive Strategy, the 6ft tall, purpose-made receptacle has been created by local metal artist Peter Lorimer to resemble the appearance of a soft drink bottle. The visual nature of the design and the educational information it displays will serve as a reminder of the scale of the plastic problem in Northern Ireland and a nudge to the public to recycle plastic waste or refuse it at source.

The initiative builds on the success of a separate single use plastics bottle bin that Translink installed at its North West Transport Hub in Derry-Londonderry. In operation for over 12 months now, positive passenger engagement with the bin has resulted in the removal of over 40,000 plastic bottles from waste generated at the station.

John Thompson, Head of Health, Safety and Environment at Translink said: “Translink recognises that it has a significant role to play in leading the transformation of public transport in NI. Translink’s commitments through the Better. Connected Strategy and our Climate Positive Strategy is creating a path for a healthier, greener and more sustainable future for generations to come. We are driving out waste and protecting and enhancing our natural heritage by reducing waste through employee and customer awareness, and through robust waste segregation, reducing the over-extraction of finite natural resources. This initiative at Lanyon Place will equip us to take another step forward in Translink’s journey to zero-waste and further improve awareness amongst our staff, customers and the public on the need to reduce the use of single-use plastics.”

Yvonne Leslie, Single-Use Plastics Policy Adviser at DAERA said: “DAERA is delighted to fund this initiative in conjunction with Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful. Initiatives like these bins will really make a difference to protect our natural environment. Of course, we would like to see the use of more reusable bottles and a reduction in the amount of single use plastic being purchased where possible, but this initiative by Keep NI Beautiful and Translink will help reduce the amount of litter on our streets and in turn prevent plastic from entering our seas.”

In helping to set up the initiative, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful aims to highlight the persistent, council-wide problem with plastic pollution that has been particularly widely reported in Belfast in recent months. The charity will soon publish their annual Cleaner Neighbourhood Report 2021/22, which indicates that 50% of 554 areas surveyed across the country contained some form of drinks-related litter present. Their Litter Composition Report and the Litter Composition Producers Report will follow next year and take a deeper dive into the plastics issue.

Chris Gourley, Waste and Pollutions Solutions Strategic Lead at Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful said: “These ad-hoc bins are a transparent, living and inescapable monument to the mountain of plastics that we continue to create at all times. They provide another space to manage the plastic waste that passes through a particularly busy station, but much more importantly, they remind us that the plastic problem is still very much with us as an issue and that we need to abandon our single-use culture.”

The ‘Single-Use Plastic Bottle Bin’ has been installed through Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful’s ‘Tacking Plastic Northern Ireland’ programme, which is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. The programme encourages the public, councils, schools and businesses to avoid buying single-use plastic and to make a commitment to reduce pointless plastic by signing a ‘Plastic Promise’. Visit www.liveherelovehere.org/plasticpromise to find out more.

[Photo Caption] From Front to Back: Christopher Walsh, Communications Officer, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and Yvonne Leslie, Single-Use Plastics Policy Advisor, DAERA join Rachel McCann, Environment Team, Translink and Owen Cormican, Facilities Manager – Property Department, Translink for the launch of the single use plastics bottle bin at Lanyon Place Station, Belfast

The unsung heroes of Northern Ireland’s best loved parks and green spaces were today encouraged to continue making space for nature at the annual Green Flag awards. Keynote speaker, wildlife cameraman, Colin Stafford-Johnson, whose rewilding of his childhood garden captivated audiences on BBC Two last autumn, said that he is no longer interested in planting anything but native species. Stafford-Johnson, who has worked on landmark series like Planet Earth, and whose father, Barney Johnson was Ireland’s first TV gardener, said that things are changing and people are now seeing the beauty and ecological value of wild spaces that would once have been regarded as ‘untidy’.

Parks receiving Green Flags at the ceremony included old favourites like Belfast Botanic Gardens, Kilbroney in Rostrevor and Carnfunnock in Larne as well as community spaces like Rathfern Activity Centre, Newtownabbey and Toome Linear Park in Antrim. There were also some impressive new entries such as from Ark Community Gardens in Newcastle.

This year also saw the very first special Pollinator Award category for parks which had achieved green flag status but were also implementing habitat creation and restoration measures for pollinating insects which will, in turn, benefit all wildlife. This was achieved in a number of ways including pollinator friendly planting schemes, no mow meadow areas, introducing native hedgerows and native tree planting, eliminating the use of pesticides and herbicide, providing signage on the importance of sites for pollinators, and engaging with the wider community.

Ninety-three parks and open spaces have been recognised with a Green Flag Award for 2022, including 18 community managed sites and 8 heritage award sites.

The winner in the category that recognises sites managed by larger, formal organisations (organisation category) was Castle Park and Walled Garden in Bangor, and the winner of the community pollinator award was Clotworthy Courtyard Garden, managed by Friends of Antrim Castle and Gardens.

Three other awards were given to Billy Neill MBE Country Park which was Highly Commended, and Queens University Belfast and Grange Park, Omagh which were both Commended.

The Green Flag Award is an internationally recognised certification for environmental quality management for parks and open spaces and is increasingly sought after in Northern Ireland since the local programme opened in 2008.

Dr Ian Humphreys, Chief Executive of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful which manages the local Green Flag Awards programme, said;

“Urban parks are one of the Victorian era’s great achievements and their relevance and importance continue today. Communities across the country value their local parks enormously and their potential to support biodiversity is being increasingly recognised. They’re not just spaces for us, they’re spaces for nature. When you visit a Green Flag site you can be reassured that the location is being managed to a really high standard as they’ve been through a rigorous judging process that assesses sites across a range of issues including their horticultural standards, cleanliness, biodiversity and safety. It’s so encouraging, this year, to see councils, organisations and communities implementing such a wide variety of measures to help our pollinating insects which are severely under pressure. Some of the initiatives are bold and some are subtle, but all show great commitment to working with nature for the benefit of the environment and us all; and at time when many people’s finances are under pressure, it’s important to highlight the fact that all Green Flag spaces are free to everyone.”

Environment Minister, Edwin Poots, MLA, who attended the event, commended the good work being done by so many park managers to improve conditions for pollinators, saying;

“It’s very encouraging to see the growing awareness about the importance of pollinators and biodiversity generally within our local communities. The huge interest in my department’s pollinator grants, which were aimed at schools and community groups have undoubtedly helped to spread awareness about this important issue. Parks are where many of our citizens go for outdoor relaxation and exercise and there is huge potential for these spaces to set aside wild areas in which nature can thrive. I commend the work of all of our Green Flag award winners.”

If you are interested in finding out more about the Green Flag Award or other programmes run by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful (Blue Flag, Eco-Schools, Live Here Love Here) please e-mail us on enquiries@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org call us on 028 9073 6920 or visit our website www.keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org.

We are proud to share the news that we are the first organisation in Northern Ireland to achieve Carbon Literacy Organisation (CLO) Bronze status for the progress that we have made in reducing carbon emissions.

The Carbon Literacy Project awarded Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful the accreditation in recognition of the development and delivery of a range of Carbon Literacy programmes for teachers, youth and community leaders and for successfully guiding the majority of our team across the organisation through their own certified Carbon Literacy training.

Since the final months of 2021, internal sessions have been delivered in modular format by our in-house Climate Action team, and staff have committed to a mandatory carbon-cutting pledge as part of their training. Some notable examples include transitions to vegan and meat-reducing diets, installation of solar panels and solar-charging devices at home, and responsible disposal of hard-to-recycle items through local Terracycle programmes.

Our CEO, Dr Ian Humphreys, commented on the success: “We are a great believer in practising what we preach, and earning Bronze accreditation from The Carbon Literacy Project is an important step in helping Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful get our own house in order. On behalf of the wider organisation, I would like to thank Scott and his entire team for driving us towards this proud award.”

Dave Coleman, Co-Founder and Managing Director of The Carbon Literacy Project added: "We’re delighted to be able to present the first Carbon Literate Organisation award in Northern Ireland to Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and congratulate them on their achievement. The award recognises their commitment to supporting their staff to become Carbon Literate, maintaining a low carbon culture in the organisation to reduce carbon emissions, and advocating and working to deliver reduced carbon emissions across a range of groups in society, creating a more sustainable economy now, and a better future for tomorrow, for everyone in Northern Ireland and beyond."

Carbon Literate Organisation accreditation is a tiered system, spanning from Bronze and Silver, right through to Gold and Platinum. Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful is already working towards the Silver standard, which will involve embedding Carbon Literacy throughout our organisation performance systems and keeping the public aware of our carbon journey.

GCSE and AS level students in Northern Ireland will be able to gain a brand new qualification in climate change and environmental action from September. The new OCN NI Level 2 Certificate in Reducing Carbon Footprints Through Environmental Action has just been added to the Department of Education list of courses approved for teaching in schools in Northern Ireland (NIEFQAN) and will be awarded by the Open College Network, Northern Ireland (OCN NI).

Students will have the opportunity to follow a selection of project-based modules in ‘Understanding the role of Carbon in Climate Change’, ‘Biodiversity Recovery’, ‘Tackling Single-Use Plastics’, ‘Fast Fashion’ and ‘Climate Campaigning’. The qualification is fully assessed through coursework.

To date almost 30 teachers in Northern Ireland have completed a free Carbon Literacy training course, funded by Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), to enable teachers to support and deliver carbon literacy programmes for students within their schools.

Nicole Sloan, who teaches at Foyle College, has recently had a number of students complete an initial pilot of the Carbon Smart Students carbon literacy course, funded by the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA). She says she is excited about the new OCN NI course and the opportunities it will open up for students to obtain a formally recognised qualification in climate change;

“I think this new opportunity to gain a formal qualification in climate change and carbon literacy is hugely significant. Our school has been an active member of Eco-Schools for a number of years and we’ve seen the benefits that has brought to so many of our students. It has broadened their outlook and enabled them to link and cross-reference other parts of the curriculum as part of a global and green theme, which I think is so important for their futures. Our students found the initial carbon literacy training that they have now completed, enlightening and very empowering. They took their time to really absorb all of the information they were given, discussed it at home and have started to apply changes in their own lives. These changes are to lower their carbon footprint which will make a difference locally and globally, for people now and for generations to come. Knowledge is power and no matter which path a young person intends to follow career-wise, this knowledge is important now.”

Charlene McKeown who manages the Eco-Schools NI programme for Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful said; “We envisage schools taking this new qualification on board as a Key Stage 4 option to complement courses like Geography or Travel and Tourism. The development of this new qualification has been a hugely positive collaboration between a number of organisations with an exciting outcome for young people.”

Martin Flynn, Chief Executive from OCN NI said; We are delighted to have been able to develop this innovative qualification on climate change and environmental action. Working in collaboration with Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and Action Renewables, we believe that the new qualifications, which will be available to schools and their students from September 2022, will prove to be an extremely popular choice with young people. The younger generation has already demonstrated their growing passion to not only understand the climate change debate but are committed to taking action which will help halt and reverse its effects in the future. Initial feedback from our partners in the schools’ sector is extremely positive and we are looking forward to rolling out the innovative new qualification from September.”

Terry Waugh, CEO of Action Renewables, Eco-Schools’ Climate Action partner, said; “Our funding towards the development of a branded Climate Advocacy resource pack to support the teaching of this new qualification is very exciting and strengthens our charitable objectives in the education of young people.”

Ends.

For additional media information / interviews, please contact Kate Gormley, Communications Manager, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, kate.gormley@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org / 07469 659948

Environmental charity, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, has today announced that it will hold a Climate Clever Communities Summit at the Waterfront Hall, Belfast today (June 15th). The event, which will be hosted by the BBC NI Environment Correspondent, Louise Cullen, will feature a number of distinguished speakers, including contributors from Scotland Beautiful and All Ireland winners of the Tidy Town’s competition in the Republic of Ireland.

The summit is the culmination of the Climate Clever Communities project, which is is funded by the UK Community Renewal Fund and delivered by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful.

The scheme aimed to help implement the UK government’s Net Zero Strategy by educating local communities and businesses in Northern Ireland, and across the UK, on the impact of climate change, and empowering them to take positive action.

Comprised of three key components, the Climate Clever Communities project focused on: the provision of Carbon literacy training to the community and tourism sectors; the Climate Challenge Fund grant programme, which enables groups from all sectors to apply for funding for grassroots activities that could reduce carbon emissions; and intensive work with ten groups supported by Live Here Love Here, Keep Northern Ireland’s civic pride campaign. In a first for Northern Ireland, the initiative saw community groups assisted with the creation of local climate action plans.

Ian Humphreys, Chief Executive of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful says, “We are proud to introduce the Climate Clever Communities Summit to showcase the impact of the Climate Clever Communities project, explore lessons learned, identify recommendations for future programmes and, importantly, to provide a platform for programme participants to share their insights.

“At Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, we’re dedicated to creating a world where people and nature thrive, and we hope that the summit will enable transformative outcomes through community-driven climate action, create a space for innovation and interactivity, and showcase solutions.

“We also hope that it will support dialogue between government agencies, local authorities, other service providers and community groups, to ascertain what we need to do to transition to low carbon society.”

Over 200 delegates are expected to attend the event, which will see speakers from across the UK. The audience will comprise of community groups, partners and funders of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, central and local government representatives, other NGO organisations and a number of businesses.

Speaker, Heather Ashworth, Communities Team Project Officer at Keep Scotland Beautiful, comments, “It is an honour to be invited to speak at the Climate Clever Communities Summit.

“This is an incredibly important forum for discussing the climate crisis. At Keep Scotland Beautiful, we have seen first-hand how important communities are in making an impact in this space, especially with our Community Climate Action Plan programme. A real difference can be made at grassroots level and initiatives like the Climate Clever Communities project are pivotal to realising this.”

Also speaking at the event will be Cormac McCarthy, Chairperson of Ennis Tidy Towns who were the overall Winner of 2021 Tidy Towns Competition. Cormac will talk about the Tidy Towns experience in the Republic of Ireland.

He says, “I am delighted to be speaking at the Climate Clever Communities Summit.

“As a passionate advocate for community-led change, I feel that the role played by the Community and Voluntary Sector in response to the climate crisis is incredibly important, and this event, and the project that it showcases, are a vital step towards achieving to net zero emissions by 2050.”

Why Tobacco Pollution Is a Serious Problem

Steve McCready   Tue 31 May 2022

Each year, the tobacco industry produces six trillion cigarettes that are consumed by one billion smokers around the world. These cigarettes contain filters mainly composed of microplastics known as cellulose acetate fibres. When improperly disposed of, cigarette butts break down through factors such as sunlight and moisture and release microplastics, heavy metals and many other chemicals, affecting the health of our ecosystems.

Cigarette butts are the most littered item worldwide, posing a major challenge to keeping the environment clean and free of plastic pollution. In our Cleaner Neighbourhoods Report for 2021/22, we reveal that Northern Ireland’s rural and urban areas are no exception, with 65% of all surveyed transects blighted by cigarette-related litter.

What’s more, when this form of plastic waste finally makes its way to our beaches and other waterways, it become a candidate for ingestion by marine wildlife. Research shows that the hazardous chemicals leached out by microplastics can cause long-term mortality in a range of species, including birds, fish, mammals, plants and reptiles. Inevitably, these microplastics enter the food chain and are associated with serious human-health impacts, including changes to genetics, brain development, respiration rates and more.

But while the negative implications of tobacco use on people is well documented, the detrimental impact it has on our climate is less understood. The tobacco industry has a whopping annual greenhouse gas emission of 84 megatons carbon dioxide equivalent. To produce tobacco on this colossal scale, there are round 200,000 hectares of biodiverse land cleared each year. And to compound matters, deforestation for tobacco plantations and tobacco curing leads to soil degradation and diminishes the ability of land to support the growth of any other crops or vegetation for regenerative and carbon-storing purposes.

Reducing the demand for tobacco is an integral piece of achieving the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Beyond the compelling human health reasons for ditching cigarettes, it is imperative that we bin them appropriately for the sake of our fragile environment and climate.

Five Councils Win Internationally Recognised Beach and Marina Awards

David McCann   Wed 18 May 2022   updated: Thu 19 May 2022

Ards and North Down, Causeway Coast and Glens, Mid and East Antrim, Mid Ulster, and Newry, Mourne and Down councils all took home environmental awards at a recent presentation celebrating excellent practice in land and waterside management.

The 2022 Beach and Marina Awards saw environmental charity Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful hand out a total of 27 Blue Flag Awards and Seaside Awards at the Ballygally Castle Hotel on 18 May. Awards went to the operational teams behind sites that had achieved the highest international and UK standards in water quality, education, safety and accessibility.

Causeway Coast and Glens emerged as the big winners of the occasion with 12 awards, and increased their number of marinas from one to four. Ards and North Down’s four Seaside Awards represented the most for a single council in the category, while Mid and East Antrim and Newry, Mourne and Down claimed three Blue Flag Awards apiece.

There were also solo Blue Flag Award wins for Mid Ulster District Council and boatfolk, the independent owner of Bangor Marina and 10 other locations across the UK.

Environment Minister Edwin Poots MLA, who delivered a speech at the presentation said, “I am delighted that Northern Ireland again has had such success in the Blue Flag and Seaside Awards. It is inspiring to see so many of our beaches and marinas achieving the exceptionally high standards demanded by these awards. It is a wonderful achievement, especially given the difficulties in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and the many challenges that has presented. I am grateful for the cooperation and collaborative working through the Better Beaches Forum, which is led by my Department and involves KNIB, Northern Ireland Water, councils and stakeholders, in achieving this number of awards.”

The Minister continued, “These awards are excellent news for our holidaymakers and bathers who can confidently enjoy our beaches and marinas, and avail of the award winning facilities that are on offer and I remain committed to ensuring that my Department continues to play a key role in running the annual programme for water quality testing at our world class beaches”

Dr Ian Humphreys, CEO of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful added, “We are privileged to give out 27 Blue Flag and Seaside Awards this year, which signal that Northern Ireland’s beaches and marinas have reached best-in-class standards to match countries across the globe. These landmarks enrich the lives of our communities, and we send profuse thanks and congratulations to the teams who maintain their quality all year round.”

All sites earned their prestigious accolade after successfully convincing a jury panel that their application demonstrated the required quality thresholds. Awards apply from June to the end of September, to coincide with the beach season, and need renewed each year.

Members of the public are invited to enjoy the award-winning amenities at each site, which are designated bathing waters that have the highest water-quality standards and excellent facilities, making them ideal coastal destinations.

The Blue Flag Award is operated by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), a worldwide environmental organisation that also oversees the Eco-Schools, Learning About Forests and Young Reporters for the Environment programmes.

FEE celebrates 35 years of the Blue Flag Award in 2022, and has so far issued 4,831 Blue Flags in 50 countries this year.

The Seaside Award is nationally recognised, rewarding local beaches since 2008.

• Nine Blue Flag Award Beaches winners – Benone Strand, Castlerock Beach, Downhill Strand, Portrush East Strand Beach, Portrush West Strand Beach, Whiterocks [Causeway Coast and Glens]; Cranfield Bay, Murlough Beach, Tyrella Beach [Newry, Mourne and Down]

• Nine Blue Flag Award Marinas winners – Bangor Marina [boatfolk]; Ballycastle Marina, Coleraine Marina, Portrush Harbour and Marina, Rathlin Marina [Causeway Coast and Glens]; Carrickfergus Marina, Glenarm Marina, Portglenone Marina [Mid and East Antrim]; Ballyronan Marina [Mid Ulster]

• Nine Seaside Awards winners – Ballywalter South Beach, Cloughey Beach, Groomsport Beach, Millisle Beach [Ards and North Down]; Ballycastle Beach, Waterfoot Beach [Causeway Coast and Glens]; Ballygally Beach, Brown's Bay Beach, Carnlough Beach [Mid and East Antrim]

Thumbs Up For Balmoral’s Free Drinking Water Stations

Steve McCready   Tue 10 May 2022

Ahead of our return to the 153rd Balmoral Show, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful welcomes the provision of three new drinking water stations at this year’s event.

We are echoing organisers' call for visitors to bring or borrow a reusable drinking container for the occasion, which can be filled with free filtered drinking water at various points on site and help to reduce the use of single use plastics at the event.

Alternatively, guests will have the option to buy one of the Balmoral Show’s limited-edition water bottles, which they can top up at the Show and beyond to stay hydrated.

Chris Gourley, Tackling Plastics Manager of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful comments, “Reusable drinks bottles are a very simple initiative, but they make a tangible difference in preventing single use plastic water bottles from building up in landfill sites and, worse, our streets, rural areas and waterways. We are pleased to see that the Balmoral Show has made it easy for visitors to access sustainable drinking-water options this year.”

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful looks forward to attending the Balmoral Show between Wednesday to Saturday, where we will be educating and informing on plastic pollution and asking attendees to sign our Plastic Promise.

We will also be inviting ticket holders to discover our other environmental themes, with members of our Climate Action, Biodiversity Recovery, Live Here Love Here and Eco-Schools teams all making the trip to offer more information about their respective programmes.

For the latest updates on the Balmoral Show, visit www.balmoralshow.co.uk or follow Balmoral Show on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Caption: Rhonda Geary, Operations Director, Royal Ulster Agricultural Society unveils the new filtered drinking water stations at this year’s Balmoral Show in partnership with Ulster Bank.

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful launches manifesto for the 2022 Assembly Elections

David McCann   Wed 30 Mar 2022   updated: Tue 10 May 2022

Today Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful launches its manifesto for the upcoming Assembly elections. The manifesto outlines specific proposals to help MLAs make improvements to our environment over the next five years. This year our message is simple; Better is Possible.

Speaking about the launch of the manifesto, our Chief Executive Ian Humphreys said;

“We want Northern Ireland to become a leader in fighting the Climate Emergency. Instead of feeling like this problem is too complex or impossible to solve, we believe that Better is Possible. We have made some important strides forward with the passage of Climate Change legislation but there is still so much more work to do. Our manifesto sets out some of the next steps forward.

"I would encourage all candidates to support our positive plans to help make a real difference. Better is Possible for Northern Ireland and our organisation is committed to playing its part to make that happen"

Read our manifesto below.

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Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful has signed a letter with our partners Keep Britain Tidy, Keep Wales Tidy and Keep Scotland Beautiful to call for litter payments to form a key component of the UK Government’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy.

The signatories to the letter believe that the EPR scheme offers a meaningful chance to tackle the root causes of many environmental problems by fully adopting the “polluter pays” principle. This underpins the proposals by shifting the costs of pollution onto those who profit from placing large amounts of packaging on the market.

The UK Government, the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland had proposed that under the forthcoming EPR system, producers would be made responsible for the full net costs of managing packaging waste, including bin and ground litter management costs.

Speaking about this issue our Chief Executive, Ian Humphreys said "In Northern Ireland, we have spoken loudly about the litter problem. It's costing us millions of pounds every year to deal with. Along with our partners, we believe that only with meaningful and collaborative action can we see a real improvement. That is why I am adding Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful's voice to this letter so that we include litter payments in EPR legislation to help support the costs of dealing with this problem"

Letter to ministers is attached.

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New School Pollinator Grants launched for 2022

Helen Tomb   Wed 02 Feb 2022

Following the success of the first ever Rural Community Pollinator Scheme in 2021, Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Edwin Poots MLA has launched a scheme specifically for schools to improve the health of our bees and pollinators and help protect our eco-systems.

The £2million scheme will provide grants between £3,000 and £12,000 to schools to create or enhance a pollinator garden and will be delivered by Live Here Love Here.

Speaking at launch of the scheme at Carr Primary School, Lisburn, Minister Poots said: “Following the outstanding success of the Rural Community Pollinator Scheme and the interest shown by schools, I have asked my officials to develop a scheme specifically for schools across Northern Ireland. Everyone is aware of the importance of our pollinators - the butterflies, moths, hoverflies, some beetles, flies, wasps but most importantly bees - and I believe it is important to educate our young people of the important role these pollinators play in our everyday life. With this scheme I hope to build on the success of the community based scheme.”

Grants will open for applications in April 2022.

Green Flag Awards for Parks and Open Spaces Revealed

David McCann   Mon 11 Oct 2021   updated: Mon 18 Oct 2021

~ Park fans encouraged to branch out this autumn! ~

Fans of Northern Ireland’s many popular parks and open spaces have been waiting to hear if their favourite place has received a coveted Green Flag Award for 2021.

Today, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, the environmental charity that runs the international awards locally, revealed a list of old favourites and new entrants, reflecting the many types of open spaces that are used and cherished by local communities. 84 parks and open spaces have been recognised with a Green Flag Award for 2021, including 4 new Green Flag Awards, 1 new Community Award and 1 new Green Flag Heritage Award.

The Green Flag Award is an internationally recognised certification for environmental quality management for parks and open spaces and is increasingly sought after in Northern Ireland, with a 27-fold increase in participants since the local programme opened in 2008.

Rachel Vaughan, who manages the Green Flag Awards programme, said she hoped people would use the awards as an incentive to visit some new places in one of the nicest seasons of the year. She said;

“We all love a walk through the autumn leaves and it’s uplifting to discover a new spot to enjoy. When you visit a Green Flag park or open space you can be reassured that the location is being managed to a really high standard as they’ve been through a rigorous judging process that assesses sites across a range of issues including their horticultural standards, cleanliness, biodiversity and safety. And at time when many people’s finances are under pressure, it’s important to highlight the fact that all Green Flag spaces are free to everyone.”

Parks and open spaces play a hugely important role in supporting the health and wellbeing of local communities and come in many shapes and sizes. The expert judges, who are all volunteers themselves, were delighted to include several community spaces in this year’s selection, which are also run and managed by volunteers at a local level. These include: Shellinghill Park and Millennium Path, Sentry Hill Community Garden, Footprints Women’s Centre, Rathfern Activity Centre, Toome Linear Walk and Ballyeaston Church Ruin.

Special Green Flag Heritage Awards were presented to Stormont Estate and Park, Brooke Park, Sentry Hill Historic House and Visitor Centre, Antrim Castle Gardens and Clotworthy House, Queen’s University Belfast, Warrenpoint Municipal Park, Newry Canal and Belfast Botanic Gardens. These sites are making the most of unique heritage features, which enhance the experience of visitors to their sites.

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful will be celebrating our award-winning parks and open spaces through a social media campaign the week beginning Monday 11 October. Please consider following us on Twitter and Facebook to see the impact of our programme

Full list of winners can be found here https://www.keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org/cgi-bin/generic?instanceID=28

If you are interested in finding out further information about the Green Flag Award or other programmes run by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful please e-mail us on enquiries@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org call us on 028 9073 6920 or check out our website www.keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org.

The 2020 Marine Litter Report found an average of 375 items of litter per 100 meters of beach surveyed, the environmental charity Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful can reveal. This equates to a total of 18,767 items of litter recorded on the 12 beaches surveyed.

As was the case in 2019, plastics were the most commonly recorded items of litter, making up 67% of all litter counted. On average, 37 plastic drinks containers and 48 lids were found per 100 meters surveyed. Additionally, short pieces of string, cord and rope were found across the beaches, with an average of 70 lengths of string counted per survey.

Despite the significant challenges presented by COVID-19 there is room for optimism as this report shows that there has been a reduction in the amount of litter and in particular the amount of plastic recorded on Northern Ireland’s beaches from previous years. Speaking about the findings in the report, Chief Executive of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, Dr Ian Humphreys said;

‘This report once again demonstrates the continuing pollution of Northern Ireland’s seas and shores. Whilst it is welcome that we have seen an improvement, we cannot take any progress for granted and must ensure that we keep this downward trend going. There is no hiding place anymore for ignorance about the impact that litter is having on our beaches, seas and waterways. We need to see greater emphasis on behaviour change campaigns and also a stronger requirement on producers of our waste to take more proactive steps in helping pay for the cost of cleaning up our waste.

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful is grateful to all those who dedicate their valuable time to survey, record and remove litter from beaches in Northern Ireland. It is their dedication and work that makes all the difference in the battle against litter. But they cannot do this alone, we all need to play our part in tackling this problem’.

The surveys in Northern Ireland are funded by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) and the data collected is fed into the International OSPAR Commission database to help in developing a global scientific understanding of this significant problem and to inform actions to address the issue.

Throughout 2020, while carrying out marine litter surveys, more people than ever before approached the surveying team and enquired about what they were doing, with many sharing their stories about how they have been inspired to do something about the litter on their local beaches. Although this report has found the lowest record of litter since the beginning of the surveys in 2012, perhaps due to the highly unusual circumstances of 2020, this trend would need to continue before we could be confident there has been a true positive change in marine litter pollution on our local beaches.

To support the reduction in marine litter within Northern Ireland, a new grants scheme has been set-up, making £175,000 available in 2021/22 for organisations and groups to avail of. The aim of the scheme is to help prevent marine litter entering our environment as well as removing this litter from coastal and riverine areas. This will help protect our waterways and marine areas, as well as improving marine biodiversity and the health and wellbeing of our communities. It is hoped the scheme will run for a further 3 years with up to £675,000 available by 2025. The scheme is funded by DAERA and will be administered by Live Here Love Here.

The Tackling Marine Litter Grants Scheme closes at 11am on Monday 27th September 2021. For further information, please visit the Live Here Love Here website.

In addition to this grants scheme, the Department has recently launched a Call for Evidence on a Plan to Eliminate Plastic Pollution in Northern Ireland. The Call for Evidence will seek responses from a wide range of stakeholders on the challenges and opportunities that exist in eliminating plastic pollution, as well as seeking examples of best practice and sources of expertise or evidence. The public Call for Evidence opened on 28th June 2021 and will run for a 14 week period until 5pm on 1st October 2021

You can read the full report at www.keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org.

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful is delighted to announce that 26 beaches and marinas across the country have achieved standards of excellence at their annual Beach and Marina Awards. The focus of this years’ event is to celebrate Northern Ireland’s stunning array of blue spaces and raise awareness of the benefits of a healthy marine environment and the positive connection between the outdoors and our physical and mental health and wellbeing.

The Beach and Marina Awards are internationally recognised awards that highlight how Northern Ireland’s blue spaces are something to take pride in, look after and enjoy; with the awards also giving an opportunity to celebrate those key workers who maintain our local beaches and marinas to such high standards.

The internationally renowned Blue Flag will be flown at eight of Northern Ireland’s beaches and six marinas during the 2021 season. The Blue Flag award is certified by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and has 49 participating countries globally. Northern Ireland’s 14 blue space locations will join the 4,820 beaches, marinas or boats that proudly fly the Blue Flag around the world. Beach and marina operators receiving a Blue Flag are demonstrating their commitment to protecting the coastal environment, excellent water quality, water safety, and providing access for all, along with providing engaging educational activities on-site.

The Seaside Award and Green Coast Award are national standards for beaches in Northern Ireland, these programmes ensure visitors of a clean, safe, attractive and well-managed beach with the facilities provided being appropriate for the location of the beach. One beach has received the Green Coast Award and eleven beaches have received the Seaside Award in 2021.

The Award Flags may only be flown if all the criteria are successfully met at time of application, with standards maintained throughout the entirety of the bathing season.

Northern Ireland’s coastline has numerous iconic sights, and many of our award-winning beaches include, or are next to, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with specially protected habitats and species forming a large part of the experience visitors enjoy. The aim of these award programmes is to improve the connection between people and their surroundings by encouraging them to spend time in and learn more about their coastal environment. Many award-winning beaches and marinas provide information points to showcase the best of Northern Ireland’s wildlife and provide visitors with information on how they can enjoy these natural wonders without disturbing or damaging them.

Information on the award-winning blue spaces can be found at www.beachni.com and www.liveherelovehere.app.

Ian Humphreys, Chief Executive of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, said “The past year has restricted our ability to travel and meet people. Yet, we are fortunate to have such great local blue spaces right on our doorstep. All of us can be rightly proud of this beautiful place we call home. Behind every one of these special places are dedicated key workers whose effort all year round keeps these blue spaces in such excellent condition. These awards are a small way of saying thank you and recognising that we have so much to be proud of in our community”.

For media enquiries contact:

Ian Humphreys, CEO Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful

Email: ian.humphreys@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org

Note to Editor

Ards and North Down Borough Council

Seaside Award

Ballywalter Beach

Groomsport Beach

Millisle Beach

Cloughey Beach

Boatfolk Marinas

Blue Flag

Bangor Marina

Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council

Blue Flag

Benone Beach

Downhill Beach

Castlerock Beach

Portrush West Strand

Whiterocks Beach

Ballycastle Marina

Seaside Award

Ballycastle Beach

Portrush East Strand

Waterfoot Beach

Department of Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA)

Seaside Award

Crawfordsburn Beach

Green Coast Award

Helen’s Bay Beach

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council

Blue Flag

Carrickfergus Marina

Glenarm Marina

Portglenone Marina

Seaside Award

Ballygally Beach

Brown’s Bay

Carnlough Beach

Mid Ulster District Council

Blue Flag

Ballyronan Marina

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council

Blue Flag

Cranfield West Beach

Murlough Beach

Tyrella Beach

Northern Ireland’s dirty lockdown secret

David McCann   Thu 25 Mar 2021

A new report produced by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, brings up worrying signs regarding the issue of litter and dog fouling throughout the country during the pandemic.

The Cleaner Neighbourhoods report, which details the findings of the 2020 Northern Ireland Litter Survey, highlights an increase in the levels of litter and dog fouling and a continued decline in the ‘cleanliness’ of streets, Roads and Public Spaces.

Figures from the survey show that 18% of the transects surveyed were deemed to be an unacceptable standard for cleanliness. This represents an increase in the number sites failing to meet the grade in 2019.

Findings and Insights

• The presence of dog fouling across Northern Ireland increased significantly from 6% of transects surveyed in 2019 to 13% in 2020. This is the highest level of dog fouling since the beginning of the surveys in 2012.

• The most commonly observed item of litter on Northern Ireland’s streets and public spaces remains cigarette butts. These were found to appear across all land use types with 69% of surveyed areas having at least one cigarette butt present, although this was seen as high as 93% and 94% along primary and secondary retail transects.

• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) was recorded on 3% of all streets and open spaces surveyed. It can be estimated that at any one time there could be 5,272 gloves and 2,000 masks on our streets and open spaces.

• Rural roads remain disproportionately affected by litter when compared with residential, retail and recreational areas. 48% of rural roads failed to reach an acceptable standard for litter. This litter is clearly coming from people throwing it out of their cars. The survey found that 41% of rural roads had takeaway litter present, 66% had confectionary litter present and 89% of all rural roads had drink related litter present.

It is perhaps not surprising that litter and dog fouling levels have risen given that the cleaning spend for Northern Ireland has dropped by nearly a third in two years, from £45,million in 2017 to just £31 million in 2019.

Commenting on the report Dr Ian Humphreys, CEO of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, said

Preventing littering requires all of us to do something. Government legislating to help end our dependence on single use items, people taking care to dispose of waste properly and businesses paying a fair share of the costs of cleaning up their packaging and cigarette butts are all needed to make a lasting difference.

We have a growing litter problem that we need to face up to as a community. The cost to our environment and public purse is too great a burden for us to bear. The pandemic has seen us care for the vulnerable in society. It is now time we extended that care for our vulnerable environment. As more people discover and enjoy the great outdoors we must all take our litter home or use the bins provided. To do anything else is to destroy what we hold dear.

You can read the full report at:

https://keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.knib.app/cgi-bin/generic?instanceID=48

LOCAL LANDFILLS NO LONGER IN FASHION WARNS ENVIRONMENTAL CHARITY

David McCann   Mon 15 Feb 2021   updated: Mon 12 Apr 2021

Northern Ireland is a nation of fashion-conscious, style mavens but when it comes to the environment, we overconsume and underuse our clothing, with approximately 533 tonnes of clothing thrown out every single week.

Environmental charity, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful has launched a new campaign, in collaboration with Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), to tackle public behaviour and awareness around textile waste and encourage consumers to never put clothing in the bin.

Over the last 12 months, Northern Ireland has disposed of approximately 27,700 tonnes of textiles – over half the weight of our much-loved Titanic ship - with many of these items still in perfect condition

Most-concerningly, around 30% of the unwanted clothing and other textiles that are binned each year, approximately 8,300 tonnes, end up in landfill.*

Landfills are a costly burden for ratepayers but they also emit greenhouse gases which are harmful to the environment, and create other dangerous pollutants that negatively affect the health of those living nearby.

Furthermore, Northern Ireland’s landfills are in a vulnerable position, becoming closer and closer to full capacity, and as a result of this social issue, Live Here Love Here, a partnership between DAERA, Local Councils, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, has today launched its inaugural Fashion Forever campaign.

Forever Fashion urges consumers to never put their unwanted clothing in the bin and to consider more environmentally friendly alternatives when disposing of textiles.

Some of these options include:

• Reuse: One person’s trash is another’s treasure. Donating unwanted items to friends and family or charity shops, or shopping and selling preloved fashion through NI’s growing network of vintage shops or online through sites such Depop and Vinted, is a great way to avoid binning textiles while potentially making some money in the process. It’s also worth remembering that style always comes back around so hanging onto a few choice pieces could be a fashion-forward choice.

• Repair: Wear and tear doesn’t automatically mean the bin. Simple repairs to clothing like popping on a new button, removing or covering a stain, or mending a hole can prolong their life and bring many months if not years more enjoyment.

• Reimagine: Reimagine clothing by upcycling unflattering fashion items. Becoming creative with a sewing machine, either at home or engaging with a professional dressmaker, gives pieces that no longer fit a new lease of life.

If an item of clothing or textile is very worn and in an unusable condition, the message remains – never put it in the bin. Instead take this item to your local recycling centre when it becomes safe to do so.

As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, some of the suggested disposal options are not advised under Government restrictions, and as people continue to remain at home, the bin may seem like the easiest, safest option. With this in mind, Live Here Love Here is urging people to hold on to their unwanted items until they can be donated or upcycled.

Siobhan Purnell, Co-ordinator of the Fashion Forever campaign said: “Our Fashion Forever message is simple - never put your unwanted clothing in the bin.

“Remind yourself of the more environmentally-friendly, alternative options – reuse, repair and reimagine. Could someone use this jacket? Can I easily repair this hole? Can I sell this dress online?

“Fast and disposable fashion through its price and fast delivery propositioning makes it easy for people, particularly the younger generation, to buy lots of clothes. Buying lots of clothes perpetuates disposal and therefore there is an escalating trend of binning textiles.

“We want people to know that they can still enjoy fashion and shopping, but also that by making one small change and committing to never putting clothes in the bin, they can make a huge difference to our local environment. Remember that fashion can and should be forever.”

To find out more about Live Here Love Here’s Fashion Forever campaign visit @FashionForeverNI on Instagram or liveherelovehere.org

‘A key milestone for climate action in Northern Ireland’ is how the submission of a Climate Change Bill to the Northern Ireland Assembly has been described by the Climate Coalition Northern Ireland and MLAs. The Private Members Bill is being submitted to the Speaker’s Office today – three months after the Assembly passed a motion calling for the introduction of a Climate Change Act within that timeframe.

Supported by MLAs from across the political spectrum, the Climate Change Bill will provide a legislative basis for climate action in NI. The Bill sets a target for Northern Ireland to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2045 and includes the establishment of a Northern Ireland Climate Office. The Bill is co-sponsored by Sinn Féin, SDLP, Ulster Unionist Party, Alliance Party, Green Party, People Before Profit, and an Independent MLA .

The Bill is an outcome of in-depth consultation with legal experts , Climate Coalition NI members, and elected representatives, and responds to the groundswell of public opinion in favour of a Climate Change Act. The public’s demand for climate action is evident in declarations of climate and ecological emergencies by local and national governments, public demonstrations including protests and youth strikes, and opinion polls like RSPB’s recent survey in which 74% of respondents supported the introduction of a Climate Change Act for NI .

Climate Coalition NI Chair Dr Amanda Slevin (PCAN Policy Fellow, Queen’s University Belfast) said:

“As a cross party, cross-community initiative, the Climate Change Bill shows how much we can achieve when we work together. NI needs its own Climate Act, building on the commitment within ‘New Decade, New Approach’ to introduce legislation and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with the Paris Accord. The Bill will establish the necessary legislative basis for multi-level climate action and offers opportunities for a just transition to a sustainable, low-carbon future for Northern Ireland.”

Anurag Deb, the lawyer who led on drafting the Bill, emphasised:

“This Bill is the product of a lot of time, effort and discussion, but it is by no means the finished product. It is only the first step in securing effective climate change mitigation in Northern Ireland."

Clare Bailey MLA, who is Lead Sponsor of the Bill, said:

“The Bill will enable Northern Ireland to become climate resilient and to achieve an environmentally sustainable economy. These measures are much needed. Northern Ireland is falling behind on a raft of climate targets and indicators … We owe it to our citizens to make the just transition to a low carbon economy, leaving no one behind.”

James Orr, CCNI Member and Director of Friends of the Earth NI, played a key role in the evolution of the Bill:

“I salute the broad coalition of political support for the Bill. This Bill is a declaration of hope in the future, a future that young people and communities across the planet have been demanding for years. We will be scrutinising the Bill’s progress over the next year to give it the strength and ambition needed to tackle the global climate emergency. ”

PRESS RELEASE ENDS

For further information, please email CCNI@nienvironmentlink.org

The Parks Staff Keeping NI Open during COVID

David McCann   Fri 16 Oct 2020

As Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful’s Green Flag Awards Week 2020 [12-16 October] comes to a close, 78 of Northern Ireland’s best-managed parks and open spaces have been recognised with the international standard of excellence, the Green Flag Award.

Our sometimes overlooked and underappreciated greenspaces have been highlighted as havens for many during the current COVID 19 Pandemic. They play a central role in helping to support and link local communities; provide recreational space, safe zones to escape and decompress, and help individuals cope with depression, anxiety and stress, so vital for health and wellbeing.

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful (KNIB), the environmental charity who operate the Green Flag Award Scheme in Northern Ireland, has witnessed a surge in successful participating locations since the initial three awarded sites in 2008.

KNIB Local Environmental Quality Manager, Jamie Miller said,

“This year more than ever we have seen the value our parks and green spaces offer to people in Northern Ireland. They play a hugely important role in supporting the health and wellbeing of our local communities. Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful are therefore delighted that we are able to award the Green Flag Status to 78 parks and green spaces.”

To achieve the Green Flag award applicants must meet robust measures, which include a site management plan and evidence candidates comply with a range of strict criteria including horticultural standards, cleanliness, environmental management, biodiversity, community involvement and safety standards.

Judged annually by a volunteer panel of experts, who assess the management plans and the applicant sites through a rigorous judging process, the awards also recognise the great input of community-based ventures through the Green Flag Community Awards, where the sites are managed and maintained by loyal volunteers working at a local level.

However, without the ongoing hard work of the park managers, staff and volunteers from our local green spaces in Northern Ireland, none of this would be possible. From behind the scenes key workers from Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council and Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, share their lockdown lowdown on their on-going efforts to keep our local parks and green spaces safe and sound during the pandemic and beyond.

Leanne McShane (Parks Development Officer) and David Mayers (Parks Development Officer) Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council -

“As key workers we continued working through the last lockdown and were asked to help out in other areas such as refuse and waste across the Borough. Our recreational sites and parks closed initially, as our first priority is always the safety of our users. However, once reopened, we saw a significant increase in footfall with perhaps the biggest hurdle being our signage, as we had to ensure users were aware of new procedures.

We feel that lockdown brought with it then and will do once again now, a newfound respect and a greater appreciation of parks along with the ability to reconnect with nature. In particular, safe open spaces gives a sense of freedom for many who struggle with mental health issues, helping them to cope with life and pandemic challenges. Parks have become an essential service for mental as well as physical health and we continue to strive to maintain a high standard with restricted staff by introducing innovative design and planting.

Social distancing didn’t stop during the summer months as we ran our Get Active Outdoors Summer Programme with a diversity of activities, from serene Tai Chi to Baby and Mum and Green Gyms to Boot Camps. Everyone should make use of their local parks as they continue to offer a welcoming, safe and accessible place to meet or just be.”

Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Councillor Kevin Savage commented:

“I’m absolutely delighted for our residents and staff that ten parks across our borough can proudly fly the prestigious Green Flag. Securing this remarkable recognition is a testament to our dedicated and diligent officers, parks and grounds maintenance staff who work tirelessly all year round to ensure these important places are well maintained, welcoming and safe.

“Our parks and green spaces play a vital role for the health and wellbeing of our residents, they provide a safe and open place for quiet reflection, exercising, recreational activities, reconnecting with nature as well as offering a sense of freedom. As a council we are committed to ensuring these beautiful natural assets remain safe, welcoming and accessible for everyone.”

Lindsay Houston (Principal Parks Officer) and Alison Diver (Growing Communities Officer) - Mid and East Antrim Council

“Our golf course at Whitehead, has been a huge success this year with more than 65% increase in memberships from last year. Lockdown certainly highlights what is important to people and it is clear that parks, open spaces and nature are high up on the priority list. It also became obvious to us that the parks and open spaces are a lifeline to many. While we are always very happy to see people using our open spaces, the current situation brings a new level of concern with regard to ensuring that sites are safe and people are using them appropriately. We have seen a massive increase in daily footfall in all the parks in the Borough.

Our allotment garden facilities has remained open through the pandemic. We’ve seen waiting lists for plots increase dramatically as more people have realised the benefits of growing your own for physical and mental health and wellbeing and for food security. I’m hopeful we’ll be able to expand our provision to accommodate the growing demand.

The downside has been increased litter and some damage to sites. While the vast majority of our visitors take good care and leave as they find, it would seem that there will always be an element with little regard for their local environment or responsibility for their actions.

Luckily we also have a great network of volunteers who have been busy on litter picks, planting, carrying out wildlife surveys and by walking sites regularly and reporting back any issues. As always, we’re very grateful to them all.

We were delighted to see nature thriving, especially during the initial lockdown, with an otter spotted along the River Bann and wildflowers all along the Coast Road and a rare sighting of a Holly Blue butterfly. Such wildlife sightings shouldn’t be unusual but unfortunately they are becoming more so.

We plan to significantly reduce our herbicide usage over the next few years for the benefit of both people and wildlife, and hope the public will accept that some areas will look a little wilder and learn from the emergence of wildlife when nature is given more of a chance to thrive.

We’ve also partnered with the Woodland Trust to plant 58,000 trees over the next five years, one for each household in the Borough. We planted just over 17,000 trees last winter and will do similar, if not more this year.

Overall, we are hopeful that people now realise the importance of nature and green space, not just during the pandemic, and will make a more concerted effort to do their bit for the environment and to support us doing the same.

With the current 4-week lockdown and continued concern, parks and open spaces continue to play a huge part in both physical and mental health and wellbeing, providing safe places for play, exercise and socialising – at a distance of course!“

‘Park Your Thoughts’ Creative Writing Competition

David McCann   Wed 14 Oct 2020

To celebrate the announcement of the 2020 Green Flag Awards for Parks and Open Spaces, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful are running the #Parkyourthoughts creative writing competition.

COVID-19 has presented many challenges for schools, business and communities across Northern Ireland, and we know that many young people have also been impacted. For many of us lockdown has highlighted the importance of our Parks and Green Spaces, as they offered us a haven during a very difficult time. We have come to appreciate the role these spaces play in maintaining both our physical health and mental wellbeing.

The #Parkyourthoughts competition aims to celebrate the invaluable role of our green spaces during the pandemic, whilst also providing a platform and giving a voice to younger people in Northern Ireland who can often go unheard.

Entrants are simply required to submit a written piece (no more than 1000 words) which captures, explains or celebrates the role their local park or green space played for them during lockdown. Entries can be in the form of a poem, story, letter or other written media – all we ask is that they feature a local Green Space.

The competition is open to all school pupils in Northern Ireland, with a prize available to the primary and post primary pupil (along with their schools) who are selected as the winners.

#Parkyourthoughts competition prizes kindly donated by Gobbins Visitor Centre, Titanic Belfast and Mens' Sheds Antrim Castle Gardens.

Please see the terms and conditions for full competition details.

Terms and Conditions

1-The competition is open to all primary and post primary pupils in Northern Ireland. By entering this competition, you agree to accept and be bound by these terms and conditions.

2-Parents, guardians or the pupil’s teacher must enter on behalf of all entrants and are required to approve the entry and agree to these terms.

3-Entry opens on 14th October 2020 and the closing date for the competition is noon on 13th November 2020 (closing date). Entries received after the closing date will not be considered.

4-To enter this competition, you must write a story, letter, poem or other written media which captures, explains or celebrates the role your local park or green space played for you during lockdown. Entries must be no more 1000 words long.

5-Entries are to be submitted via email to Jamie.miller@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org and must include the entrant’s name, age, school and the entrant’s parent, guardian or teachers contact details including their email address.

6-By entering this competition each entrant confirms that his/her entry is their wholly-owned creation.

7-All correctly completed entries will first be judged by the Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful staff. The top 10 shortlisted entries will then be read and judged by the competitions sponsors. Judging decisions are final and the verdict cannot be appealed.

8-One winner will be selected from each of the primary and post-primary groups. A breakdown of the prizes is detailed below.

9-The competition will be judged within 28 days of the closing date (i.e. by 11th December 2020) and the parent, guardian or teacher of the winner will be notified by email.

10-Events may occur which render the awarding of the prizes impossible due to reasons beyond the control of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful. Keep Northern Ireland beautiful may, at its absolute discretion, vary, amend or suspend any of the prizes with or without notice.

11-Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful may disqualify any entrant whose entry does not comply with these terms and conditions or who, in Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful’s sole determination, has acted in a manner that is fraudulent, dishonest or unjust to other entrants

12-Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into in relation to the competition.

13-Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful reserves the rights to amend these terms and conditions or cancel this competition at any stage, if deemed necessary it its opinion, or if circumstances arise outside of its control.

Breakdown of prizes as follows:

Primary School Winner Prize

Pupil Prize- A Family Pass to the Gobbins Cliff Walk

School Prize- A stocked wheeled planter worth £250

Post Primary Winner Prize

Pupil Prize-A Family Pass to the Titanic Walking Tour

School Prize-A £200 donation to the Schools Eco-Committee

Outdoor recreation plays a vital role in Northern Ireland, bringing benefits to society by contributing a wide range of areas including health and well-being, social inclusion, community cohesion, environmental protection, rural development, and economic development.

Outdoor Recreation NI carried out a survey between 4th and 11th May 2020 to understand how the population of Northern Ireland was engaging with the outdoors during COVID-19 lockdown period which was implemented on 23rd March.

The results found that nearly 47% of the population were spending more of their free time outside when in lockdown compared to the same time last year and 51% intending to increase this time further once lockdown restrictions eased. The findings highlight a clear link between enjoying outdoor spaces and good mental and physical health with 89% respondents reporting that the time they spent outdoors made them feel calm, relaxed, refreshed, and revitalised; 84% felt physically healthier/fitter; 79% felt closer to nature. These benefits were strongest amongst people who visited the outdoors most often during lockdown and people with quality trails and greenspaces close to home. These are just a handful of examples as to why greenspaces are so important in today’s world, especially in such uncertain times.

Whilst there has been a huge increase in the use of the outdoors reflected in the research findings, 44% of those surveyed reported having to walk on roads and roadside pavements due to a lack of off-road trails in their local area, posing a safety issue. The findings highlight the need for more local off-road trails in urban and rural areas to ensure the public can enjoy the outdoors safely and securely. There is a clear appetite for the public to get outdoors without having to travel from their own doorstep to do so.

The survey also reveals some challenges, reflecting that the benefits of being outdoors are not being enjoyed equally by all. The research shows that of those people who have been enjoying access to the outdoors every day (63%), participation is lowest in the most deprived areas of Northern Ireland (41%). It is so important that these statistics are taken seriously so that work can be done to increase quality local off-road trails and to support and empower those in deprived areas to participate in outdoor activity such as walking.

When asked an open-ended question about respondents priorities to improve greenspaces in their local area, the most frequently provided answers related to the need for more dedicated walking and cycling routes, away from roads and traffic. Some of the comments included, “reduce traffic and increase cycling/walking space on routes to local green space” and “better town planning – make green space integral.” It is encouraging to see that there is not only desire for green spaces, but that they are easily accessible by foot or bike.

Commenting on the findings of the survey, Dawson Stelfox MBE, Chair of Outdoor Recreation Northern Ireland commented;

Moving forward we in Outdoor Recreation NI will certainly focus on building support to address this issue. It is evidently clear that things will never be the same again, and we will work to ensure that our Ministers and Departments are well informed of the public need in order to ensure our outdoors are more accessible and encouraging for the public to access and enjoy safely.”

78 of the best managed parks and open spaces in Northern Ireland have be recognised with a Green Flag Award.

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, the environmental charity that runs the scheme in Northern Ireland, revealed an ever growing and diverse number of free to enjoy places that have been awarded a prestigious Green Flag Award. The Green Flag Award is an internationally recognised certification for environmental quality management for parks and open spaces.

This year more people that ever took the opportunity to enjoy parks and open spaces across Northern Ireland. For many these sites provided an essential service during lockdown, offering up safe space to exercise and connect with nature. Access to quality recreational space has a number of benefits for people in Northern including improved physical and mental health and the opportunity to learn about our environment.

Dr Ian Humphreys, Chief Executive of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful said:

“Northern Ireland’s parks and open spaces play a hugely important role in supporting our local communities, both in terms of providing recreational space but also for supporting health and wellbeing. This has been highlighted now more than ever as our parks and open spaces provided a haven to many during the difficult lockdown period. It is fantastic to see such a high number of sites in Northern Ireland meeting the international standard for excellence.”

Parks and open spaces wishing to achieve Green Flag status must have a site management plan in place and be able to demonstrate they comply with a range of strict criteria including horticultural standards, cleanliness, environmental management, biodiversity, community involvement and safety standards. The Awards are judged annually by a panel of experts, who volunteer their time to assess the management plans and the applicant sites through a rigorous judging process.

For the 2020/21 season, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful saw a continued increase in public parks, gardens, country parks, cemeteries and green spaces meeting the demanding standards.

Stormont Estate was amongst 7 sites which also received a Green Flag Heritage Award. This award recognises the parks and open spaces which celebrate and promote the elements of their heritage that make them unique. The other parks recognised with a Heritage award were; Antrim Castle Gardens, Brooke Park, Belfast Botanic Gardens, Queen’s University Belfast, Sentry Hill Historic House and Visitor Centre and Warrenpoint Municiple Park.

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful also celebrates The Green Flag Community Award, which recognises sites managed and maintained by loyal volunteers working at a local level. This year Shellinghill Park and Millennium Path received its first Green Flag Community Award alongside Ballyeaston Church Ruin, Rathfern Activity Centre, Sentry Hill Community Garden and Toome Linear Park.

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful will be celebrating our award winning parks and open spaces through a social media campaign the week beginning Monday 12 October. Please consider following us on Twitter and Facebook to see the impact of our programme

If you are interested in finding out further information about the Green Flag Award or other programmes run by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful please e-mail us on enquiries@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org or check out our website www.keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org.

Eco-Schools are delighted that Sam Patterson has achieved double success with his first place in the Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE) National and the #yrestayshome competition. Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE) is an award-winning programme coordinated by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). The programme empowers young people to take an educated stand on environmental issues they feel strongly about and gives them a platform to articulate these issues through the media of writing, photography or video.

The 14-year-old Belfast resident impressed judges with his Litter Less Campaign article ‘The Natural Respirator’ which looked at our connection to nature and how people can damage it through lack of consideration of our environment.

Since he was a child, Sam has been a keen enthusiast for our environment which inspired him to take part in the YRE competition. At age seven, he was diagnosed with dyslexia, then at age nine he was diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum. This competition has allowed Sam to demonstrate his creativity and his passion for our nature. He is one of the growing number of younger environmental activists who are leading the way in raising the issues around the climate emergency and how as a people we need to be part of the solution.

Part of the Litter Less Campaign, the longest running school anti-litter campaign is funded by Mars Wrigley Foundation, run in Northern Ireland through the Eco-Schools programme.

Speaking about this achievement the Eco-Schools Project Officer, Dr. Francesca Di Palo said;

“We are delighted for Sam and his incredible double achievement. At such a young age he is demonstrating that everyone can play an important part in raising the issue of how we look after our environment. Sam has wowed all of us with his creativity and passion. On behalf of Eco-Schools, I want to congratulate him on this achievement and very much look forward to seeing what he comes up with next.”

Speaking about his experience of YRE, Sam Patterson said;

“I believed that the competition would be a good opportunity to learn about plastic pollution and develop my writing skills. In my mind success was highly unlikely but the enjoyment of participation was a great incentive in itself.”

For further information please contact:

Dr Francesca Di Palo (Eco-Schools Project Officer)

E: Francesca.DiPalo@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org

In 2019, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful marine litter surveyors recorded an average of 508 pieces of litter per 100 meters of beach. This equates to an estimated 3.3 million items of litter on our coastline at any one time.

Plastic, not surprisingly makes up over 78% of the waste on Northern Ireland’s beaches, including many ‘single use’ items such as drinks bottles, food wrappers and broken pieces of plastic. In fact, such is the extent of the ‘plastic problem’ that 6 of the top 10 most common littered items on NI beaches were found to be derived from single-use plastics.

There were also many short pieces of string and rope, which may have originated from fishing activity.

One of the key indicators of the abundance, composition and trends of litter in the marine environment is the amount on beaches. The surveys of beach litter are carried out 4 times a year by trained volunteers across 11 ‘reference’ beaches around Northern Ireland’s coast. The surveys are funded by the Department of Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) and all the data collected feeds into the OSPAR Commission database, helping with decision-making around marine litter in the North East Atlantic from Iceland to Portugal. OSPAR monitors litter on 100m stretches at over 70 beaches in the North-East Atlantic following common monitoring guidelines. The data is accessible to anyone and it is collected in the same way at every reference beach each year.

Commenting on the 2019 Report, Environment Minister Edwin Poots MLA - said;

“I welcome publication of the Marine Litter Report 2019 and acknowledge the excellent work that Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful do in partnership with my Department.

“This year’s report highlights the steady progress being made in tackling marine litter in Northern Ireland, leading to a cleaner, greener place to live. The figures reveal the stark reality of litter on our beaches, with over 22,000 pieces of litter collected across 11 beaches, with 78% of this made from single use plastic. It is a reminder of our continued fight against plastic pollution and its devastating consequences.

“We all want to see changes where we live and see a continuing reduction in the number of pieces of litter appearing in our waters and along our coastline. With summer upon us and an ease on coronavirus restrictions many of us may choose to holiday at home. However, I would remind people of the need to ‘leave no trace’, to take all their litter home with them and recycle it where they can. By adjusting our behaviours and acting responsibly we can all play our part in further driving down marine litter and making a day at the beach enjoyable for everyone, whilst also protecting our marine wildlife.

“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all the volunteers who give up their time to carry out these surveys throughout the year, their invaluable work contributes to the ongoing success of the Marine Litter Report and the importance of looking after our own local beaches.”

Every reference beach is cleaned within two weeks of the survey by a range of volunteers from; families and local groups to schools and businesses. In 2019 nearly 600 volunteers got involved to help clean up the beaches, collecting over 540 bags of litter from the 11 reference beaches alone.

Jamie Miller, Local Environmental Quality Manager for Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful stated, “Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful is grateful to all those who dedicate their valuable time to survey, record and remove litter from beaches in Northern Ireland. As the results of their invaluable work shows, the vast majority of litter on our beaches comes from single use plastics. Removing these items from beaches is a small step towards tackling a very large problem in our seas, which we are only just beginning to understand. We all have a role to play in tackling this hugely concerning environmental issue and can start by making small positive changes to our behaviours, such as avoiding single use plastic where possible, and always putting our rubbish in a bin.”

Since the onset of the COVID 19 pandemic people are taking extra steps to protect themselves. It is important that the public recognises that using Personal Protective Equipment comes with the responsibility of not just using it properly but also disposing of it in a way that doesn’t harm the environment and other members of the public. These items once used, need to be put in the appropriate bin.

You can read the full report at www.keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org/marinelitter

Calling all Would Be “Grow your owners”

David McCann   Mon 06 Jul 2020

Environmental charity Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful is today launching a new project which has been funded by the National Lottery Community Fund as a response to Covid-19.

The Food For Thought project is a combination of ‘Grow your own’ and ‘Eat your own’ to help build resilience within communities, families and individuals.

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful has been a pioneer of a cleaner, greener, more sustainable Northern Ireland for the last 20 years and enabling people to grow even a very small amount of food at home completely fits with that ethos.

The project will be delivered by Live Here Love Here in collaboration with The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) and Belfast Food Network (BFN). TCV will distribute 550 growing packs suitable for indoor and outdoor spaces, large and small. These packs will contain seeds of salad leaves, vegetables or herbs which are suitable to sow from end July onwards, bags of peat free compost, gardening gloves, pots and a fork and trowel set. There are also some apple trees for those with suitable space to plant them.

The project will also include access to on-line webinars and video content; project partners Belfast Food Network will be creating a series of videos and recipes showing simple ways to use fabulous fresh produce. There will also be hints and tips from chefs and food producers throughout the province.

Dr Ian Humphreys, CEO of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful said “There are so many reasons to grow even a small amount of food. The benefits for mental and physical health are well documented, but particularly at this time when perhaps we all have feelings of loneliness and insecurity it can be a great connector to a wider community. If you combine that with the health benefits of eating something so fresh, with zero food miles it also has the power to surprise our taste buds; this in turn leads to food empathy, an appreciation of the effort that goes into producing real food.”

Helen Tomb, Operations Leader at The Conservation Volunteers said “The challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic have highlighted the need to connect people with nature and the food supply chain. The Food for Thought project provides a fantastic opportunity for individuals and families to grow together and look forward to enjoying a healthy harvest. The kits provide all the basics to help even the most novice of gardeners get started and online support will help us grow as a community.’

Kerry Melville, Project Co-ordinator of Belfast Food Network, part of Sustainable Food Cities network commented “We're delighted to be a part of the Food for Thought project, we'll be encouraging people to grow their own and make delicious meals for family and friends using fresh, local, seasonal produce".

Jilly Dougan, project officer for Food For Thought said “There’s no better way to start interacting with the environment than getting up close and personal with growing food! We want applications from community groups, families and individuals of all ages from across Northern Ireland. The vision is to create a whole community of growers and eaters who support each other in a truly sustainable way. We can’t wait to see the pictures and hear about everyone’s adventures along the way”.

To find out more about the Food For Thought project and apply for a growing pack please visit www.liveherelovehere.org/foodforthought or contact jilly.dougan@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org to get in touch.

Applications open today and will close on Monday 20th July at 12pm (noon)

A new report produced by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, highlights the need to bank the gains in the fight against litter.

The Cleaner Neighbourhoods report, which analyses the findings of the 2019 Northern Ireland Litter Survey, provides some encouraging news, showing there were improvements in the levels of litter and dog fouling across Northern Ireland.

The report, which details the results from the 2019 survey period, states that 86% of the streets and public spaces surveyed were deemed to meet an acceptable standard for cleanliness, an improvement on the previous year's results. The levels of dog fouling across Northern Ireland were also found to have declined; in 2019 only 6% of the 1,100 streets, roads and open spaces surveyed had dog fouling present, compared with 10% during the 2018 survey.

The most commonly observed item of litter in Northern Ireland’s streets and public spaces was cigarette butts. These were found to appear across all land use types with 60% of surveyed areas having at least one cigarette butt present, although there were often many more. Drinks containers, including plastic bottles, cans and takeaway coffee cups, were also noted as a recurring issue, observed in 45% of all surveyed areas.

Further Room for Improvement

Although the report indicates a slight reduction in dog fouling levels, it was noted that dog fouling clusters or ‘hotspots’ are still a problem. Streets and public spaces that did have dog fouling present, were found to have had an increased likelihood of having multiple occurrences, with one recreational area surveyed having as many as 9 dog fouls present on a 50m stretch. This supports the idea that a failure to clean up dog fouling is influenced by ‘signalling’, i.e. the presence of dog fouling indicates to other owners that not clearing up after their pet is acceptable in the area.

Rural roads, whilst improving, are still a problem and are disproportionately affected by litter when compared to residential, recreational and retail areas. 24% of rural roads failed to reach an acceptable standard for litter. Rural roads suffer mostly from the presence of plastic bottles, cans and take away coffee cups with 82% of transects having at least one drink container present. This type of litter will almost always come from cars with passengers carelessly throwing their empty drinks out of the windows.

The impacts of Covid-19 have put additional pressures on Waste collections services throughout Northern Ireland. There is a need for everyone to act responsibly and ensure they are disposing of their waste in an appropriate manner.

Commenting on the report Dr Ian Humphreys, Chief Executive of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, said

"We welcome that we have seen improvements last year in the fight against litter and now is not the time to take our foot off the peddle. Littering, no matter how small, damages our environment and hurts public health. The message is clear, disposing of our waste properly protects our vulnerable environment, just as it protects vulnerable key workers and public health. Working together, all sections of government and the community, we can all play our part in making a difference".

The Northern Ireland Litter survey is a country wide survey that is carried out by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful to assess the quality and cleanliness of our public spaces. The objective of the survey is to benchmark the cleansing performance of the councils by rating them against the same scale, thus ensuring a fair comparison. The results of the survey also provide a picture of the levels of different kinds of litter across Northern Ireland, how these vary by area, and how littering trends are varying over time.

The report concludes with a number of recommendations that Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful believe are necessary to meaningfully reduce littering, dog fouling and related environmental damage to Northern Ireland.

You can read the full report at: https://keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.knib.app/keepnorthernirelandbeautiful/documents/007934.pdf

ENDS

To speak to a press spokesperson or for more information please contact Jamie Miller, Local Environmental Quality Manager for Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful at: Jamie.miller@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org T: 07725262248

Eco-Schools are marking the one-month milestone of our #StayConnected campaign. Using the best approaches in technology we believe that we can still work closely together whilst staying apart. With schools closed for the foreseeable future, Eco-Schools are determined to ensure that parents, teachers and pupils still get the most out of our programme and learn about the importance of looking after our local environment. More importantly, Eco-Schools has always played an important role in promoting the benefits for the mental health and well-being of people from feeling a connection with the environment.

Over the past four weeks we have been thrilled with the level of engagement from pupils, teachers and parents across Northern Ireland who have sent in their entries. Every week pictures are posted on social media with our Facebook and Twitter pages sharing some of the best. We have asked families to take up baking in order to reduce plastic packaging. We have also tried to get pupils to listen out for local nature on their daily exercises. This week we are asking our followers to create their own storyboard to share their key environmental message.

All of these tasks are fun and interactive, keeping pupils active with schools off and also giving tasks that the entire family can enjoy together. This is all part of our programme’s goal of keeping people connected whilst we are all being asked to stay home, protect the NHS and save lives.

Speaking about this milestone, our Eco-Schools Project Officer, Dr Francesca Di Palo said;

“We are delighted with the response we have received so far for this campaign. Parents, pupils and teachers have engaged with such enthusiasm that it really gives us confidence that the values and goals of Eco-Schools can thrive even in the most difficult circumstances. I want to take this time to thank all of those who have taken part so far.

If you haven’t been following the challenges so far but still want to take part, don’t panic. All of our challenges are available on our website. You can also view them on our Instagram, Facebook and Twitter pages for you to read and take part. Just remember to tag our pages so we can spread the creativity far and wide. This is a positive campaign to keep people connected and everyone is welcome to join”

Eco-Schools are launching an appeal to today to #StayConnected. Using the best approaches in technology we believe that we can still work closely together whilst staying apart. With schools closed for the foreseeable future, Eco-Schools are determined to ensure that parents, teachers and pupils still get the most out of our programme and learn about the importance of looking after our local environment. More importantly, Eco-Schools has always played an important role in promoting the benefits for the mental health and wellbeing of people from feeling a connection with the environment.

Over the past two weeks this programme has been looking at ways in which we can remain connected with one another while we go through this period of social distancing. Through increased use of our social media channels and other online platforms we are working to promote resources that can help teachers keep an emphasis on the environment and easy to use resources for pupils to use at home.

We are proud to launch our Three Easy Tricks to keep people connected over the next few weeks. This includes promoting available webinars that are being produced within the sector for young people to take part in easy to use, fun activities at home. This includes photography, importance of environmental education and civic participation. All can be done within the comfort of your own home. In addition to this, we are encouraging the public to share their positive Eco-Schools antics with us online so we can promote the good news stories that are out there at this very difficult time.

Speaking about this new initiative the Environmental Education Manager, Charlene McKeown said;

“We are delighted to launch this campaign today to encourage people to stay more connected with each other. With schools closed, it can be hard to have enough activities in the day to keep children occupied. At Eco-Schools we are determined to help bridge the gap and ensure that we keep promoting the important values that have made such a difference in schools across Northern Ireland.

I would encourage everyone to keep an eye on our social media channels and read our fortnightly newsletter to find out all about some of the interactive environmentally friendly activities that are currently available for all of the family to enjoy. We want you to share your positive stories with our online Eco-Schools community and we will make sure to promote them and spread the positivity far and wide.”

Download the attachment for more information.

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NI Litter: Threat to eco-system exposed

---   Fri 28 Feb 2020

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, has released a report funded by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), that demonstrates that litter remains at concerning levels in NI – damaging our forests, parks, beaches and streets.

The Litter Composition Report estimates 1,294,164 items are littered on our streets at any one time, weighing approximately 28 tonnes and costing the public purse £45 million annually in Northern Ireland.

According to the report, a significant amount of the litter found contained plastic - 71% is made up of cigarette butts, plastic bottles, confectionary and crisp wrappers. Plastic never breaks down and forms harmful micro-plastics which enter our ecosystem. The second most common category was metals at 14.5%, which was mostly made up of non-alcoholic drinks packaging at 9.7%.

Agriculture and Environment Minister, Edwin Poots, stated: “My Department is actively engaged in protecting and valuing our precious landscape, so it can be enjoyed by everyone. Those who engage in littering are not valuing our landscape and these actions have a negative impact that is felt across Northern Ireland. This Litter Composition Report shows that the amount of litter in our environment and entering the eco-system is still a real issue, and the findings will help to identify ways to address this. My Department, in partnership with Councils and NGOs, such as Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, is using a combined approach of legislation, education, awareness and enforcement to tackle and improve the litter issue in Northern Ireland. We are also working towards Northern Ireland’s first Environment Strategy which will play a key role in setting Northern Ireland’s environmental priorities for coming decades.”

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and DAERA commissioned the independent litter compositional analysis to alert both the general public and business community to the seriousness of the situation – no similar study has been conducted in Northern Ireland to date.

Dr Ian Humphreys, Chief Executive at Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful comments: “This is the first ever NI Litter Composition Report – and the root problems are clear. We need to tackle the fact that one in three people openly admit to littering*. We must also share the responsibility for litter that is being created through increased ‘convenience’ packaging.”

At Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful we invest in litter prevention awareness through our Live Here Love Here campaign.

#TacklingPlasticNI

Click on the link below to view full Litter Composition Report 2019/20.

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Litter Composition Report 2019/20

One Big Opportunity: DAERA 25 Year Plan

---   Tue 05 Nov 2019   updated: Fri 20 Dec 2019

The Department of Agriculture, Environment & Rural Affairs has launched a consultation to develop a 25 year plan for our environment. That gives you one BIG opportunity to make a real difference and we want to make sure decision makers hear from you.

To make it easier for you and to give you some ideas we have included our responses below. To see the list of questions and full report go to:

DAERA - Public Discussion Document

Simply copy and paste the text below and email it to esni@daera-ni.gov.uk by 5pm on 5th February 2020.

Remember to say who you are and include your age.

Please share this with your family, friends, work colleagues and networks. The climate emergency requires ambitious leadership and urgent action. Everyone needs to raise their voice, everyone needs to play their part.

Our Responses

Question 1: Do you agree that the Environment Strategy should sit alongside existing Executive-endorsed strategies, such as the Sustainable Development, Public Health and Economic Strategies?

Response

Create healthier communities by providing opportunities to get together more outdoors in accessible public spaces to do good and feel good through practical environmental action. This should link in with other strategies around sustainable development, mental Health and well-being. Research has shown the benefits that volunteering has for an individual’s general health.

Question 4: Do you have any comments on what specific issues should be included under a proposed Environmental Engagement strategic theme?

Response

Inform every young person about climate breakdown, the loss of our wildlife and marine plastic pollution and what it means for our future. Help us find ways to raise awareness and to take action together. Declare a climate emergency.

Question 5: Do you have any comments on what specific issues should be included under a proposed Environmental Prosperity strategic theme?

Response

Invest more in public transport making our dependence on cars less necessary and improving air quality

Question 7: Do you have any comments on what specific issues should be included under a proposed Environmental Quality strategic theme?

Response

Plant more native trees. We have the lowest level of tree cover anywhere in Europe and want to see 20% of our land planted with trees; important for nature to thrive.

Create a waste free society where we use less, waste less and stop polluting our seas. And anything we use, including single use plastics, needs to be part of a truly circular economy.

Help everyone learn how to grow more tasty local food and provide plants for our pollinating bees.

Question 10: What are your big ideas for the future protection and enhancement of the environment?

Response All of the above

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful has announced today that it will be supporting the Global Climate Strike on the 20th September 2019. The strike is being organised across the world to encourage greater awareness of the climate emergency facing the entire planet. Locally, we are adding our voices to the growing number of people who are demanding more concerted action on protecting our environment.

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful has consistently argued for stronger action at a Northern Ireland level and across the European Union. The rising number of alarming stories highlighting the impact of climate change across the globe demonstrates why we cannot wait to change our behaviours and that urgent action is required now.

Speaking about supporting the strike, Chief Executive of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, Ian Humphreys, said;

“There is no hiding place from climate change. We simply cannot afford to stay silent and do nothing. We have an obligation for future generations to step up to the mark and highlight the growing climate emergency facing all of us. We all have a duty to change how we live and search for alternatives that can protect our environment now and for the long term.”

“The growing body of evidence is clear. We are contributing in harmful ways to our planet, whether through plastic pollution, the mass extinction of species or fuelling climate change. We need to think about the longer term impacts of the decisions that we are making today. As a society there has to be wide scale behaviour change from all of us in order to reverse the severe damage that is being done to our environment.”

He continued;

“I want to commend those people, young and old, who are peacefully yet powerfully challenging us all to make a real difference on these undeniable issues. It is for those reasons and a belief that change is always possible that I am delighted to lend our organisations support to this day of action.”

Queen’s University Belfast is one of 76 locations to achieve the Green Flag Award. The Lanyon site at Queen’s, which also achieved a Green Heritage Site Accreditation, is the first university in Northern Ireland to be recognised by the scheme.

Today, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, the environmental charity that runs the scheme in Northern Ireland, revealed an ever growing and diverse number of free to enjoy places that have been awarded a prestigious Green Flag Award. The Green Flag Award is an internationally recognised certification for environmental quality management for parks and open spaces and is growing from strength to strength in Northern Ireland, increasing from three sites since programme inception in 2008.

Queen’s University provided the perfect backdrop to this year’s annual awards event where a record 76 Green Flag awards were presented.

Parks and open spaces wishing to achieve Green Flag status must have a site management plan in place and be able to demonstrate they comply with a range of strict criteria including horticultural standards, cleanliness, environmental management, biodiversity, community involvement and safety standards. The Awards are judged annually by a panel of experts, who volunteer their time to assess the management plans and the applicant sites through a rigorous judging process.

For the 2019/20 season, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful saw a continued increase in public parks, gardens, country parks, cemeteries and green spaces meeting the demanding standards.

Queen’s University was one of six first-time winners this year across all participating organisations including: Brownstown Park and Gosford Forest Park in Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon Borough Council, Randalstown Riverside Walk in Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, Drumglass Park in Belfast City Council and Warrenpoint Municipal Park in Newry, Mourne and Down District Council.

Joanne Clague, Registrar and Chief Operating Officer of Queen’s University said: “I am very pleased that Queen’s University Belfast is the first university in Northern Ireland to have achieved a Green Flag Award. The University has put significant efforts into creating, and maintaining, a high standard public green space for our staff, students, local community and visitors. We are delighted to have been recognised in this way.”

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful also celebrates The Green Flag Community Award, where the sites are managed and maintained by loyal volunteers working at a local level. This year Sentry Hill Community Garden received their first Green Flag Community Award alongside Ballyeaston Church Ruin, Rathfern Activity Centre, Sentry Hill Community Garden and Toome Linear Park.

Queen’s University Belfast and Brooke Park in Derry and Strabane achieved their first Green Heritage Award along with Antrim Castle Gardens, Belfast Botanic Gardens and Sentry Hill Historic House and Visitor Centre; these sites celebrate and promote elements of their heritage that make their site unique.

There are now more places than ever for the public to enjoy free high quality outdoor spaces in Northern Ireland.

Dr Ian Humphreys, Chief Executive of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful said:

“It is time once again to celebrate a record number of Green Flag Awards meaning more spaces than ever before offering wonderful experiences for visitors throughout the year. I also want to thank the staff who give their all to maintain these spaces to such high standards for us to enjoy.

As all of us (and young people particularly) become glued to our phones and tablets these fantastic green spaces offer some of the closest and most accessible opportunities to explore and connect to nature. Where better to learn about our reliance on the natural world? Where better to spend quality time with friends and family? Where better to relax away from all the busy-ness of life? Come to think of it I am heading outside…”

If you are interested in finding out further information about the Green Flag Award or other programmes run by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful please e-mail us on enquiries@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org call us on 028 9073 6920 or check out our website www.keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org.

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1 in 10 streets plagued with dog fouling

David McCann   Wed 26 Jun 2019

10% of the 1,100 streets, roads and open spaces, surveyed in the 2019 Cleaner Neighbourhoods Report, had dog fouling present. This is an easily fixed issue by dog owners yet the results from this year’s Cleaner Neighbourhood Report show that dog fouling is as common on our streets as other types of litter. Results like this haven’t been this bad since 2015.

Although it is not all bad news as councils have started to uptake new engagement schemes to help them tackle the litter issue. Green dog walkers encourages dog owners to take a pledge to clean up after their dogs and encourage others to do the same. Businesses in some councils have started to make a commitment to move away from single use plastics and replacing them with more sustainable options. This is only a start but if everyone starts to make this change it should see great reductions in litter on our streets, roads and open spaces.

The impact that volunteers are making on the plastic problem is priceless. During the Big Spring Clean 553,571 volunteers got involved with cleaning up their local areas removing over 800 metric tons of rubbish. A further 20,640 volunteers got involved in cleaning up their coast line during clean coast week and through the adopt a spot programme 167 spots have been adopted to be cleaned 4 times of year. Education also plays a large part of making changes to the litter problem, with this 295 schools over a quarter of all schools, have now earned the right to fly a green flag, the pinnacle of the Eco-Schools programme.

In 2017/18 347 fixed penalty notices were issued to dog owners, resulting in fines of at least £50.

Dr. Ian Humphreys had this to say about dog fouling issue “Treading in dog fouling or wheeling your buggy through it is one of the most disgusting things that can happen when you are out and about. It carries serious health risks too, especially for children who can lose their sight simply because of a dog owner’s laziness. So the reputation of the vast majority of dog owners, who pick up after their pets, has been dealt a nasty blow by these latest figures. Our message is simple: pick up after your dog and put it in the bin. Or be ready to pay the fine.”

The report concludes with a number of recommendations for combating the litter problem for national and local policy makers. With Brexit decision time looming it is difficult to predict our legislative future. This is why it is important to scan for the UK, Ireland and EU legislation and consultations which have recently come through and see how they may help shape our future in tackling the litter problem.

You can read the full report at https://www.keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org/

One Million Pieces of Litter and counting

David McCann   Fri 14 Jun 2019

In 2018, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful marine litter surveyors recorded 625 pieces of litter per 100 meters of beach - the highest average since the surveys began in 2012. Plastic, not surprisingly makes up over 78% of the waste on the beaches including many ‘single use’ items such as drinks bottles, food wrappers and broken pieces of plastic. There were also many short pieces of blue string and rope, which are likely to have come from the fishing industry.

The surveys are carried out 4 times a year by trained volunteers across ten ‘reference’ beaches around our coasts. The surveys are funded by the Department of Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) and all the data collected feeds into the OSPAR Commission Database helping with decision-making around marine litter in the North East Atlantic from Iceland to Portugal. The data is accessible to anyone and at every reference beach it is collected in the same way at the same time of the year.

Commenting on the 2018 Report, David Small - Head of DAERA Environment, Marine and Fisheries Group said, “I would like to thank and congratulate Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and their network of volunteers on the marvellous work they have been doing to address the problem of marine litter pollution.

Marine litter pollution is a massive problem and one which can only be addressed by everyone playing their part. It is crucial that we continue to find ways to ensure our lifestyle choices don’t impact negatively on the environment, and the resources we depend on such as water, air, food and energy.”

Every one of the reference beaches are cleaned within two weeks of the survey by a range of volunteers from families and local groups to schools and businesses.

Nearly 3000 volunteers are involved in cleaning up the reference beaches, and they have collected over 1 million pieces of litter (December 2018) and over 5000 bags of litter have been removed.

Dr. Berman from Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful stated, “Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful may be on the cover of the Marine Litter Report, but it is the volunteers and groups who not only record every piece of litter on the beach but also clean up too making out beaches better places for everyone”

There is a surge of interest in people wanted to get out and clean up their local areas. Doing good feels good and doing good together feels even better. There are many amazing groups out there and people are thinking more about using a refillable bottle and taking their own home made packed lunch to work or school to reduce their waste.

We have beautiful beaches in Northern Ireland. There are many dedicated people who help keep them that way. Why not come out and join them or sign up to adopt a spot near you? Everywhere is connected to the sea so you can make a difference by acting local.

You can read the full report at www.keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org.

ENDS

To speak to a press spokesperson or more information please contact Dr Jade Berman, Local Environmental Quality & Business Development Manager for Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful at: jade.berman@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org T: 028 90736920

One Million Pieces of Litter and counting

David McCann   Fri 14 Jun 2019

In 2018, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful marine litter surveyors recorded 625 pieces of litter per 100 meters of beach - the highest average since the surveys began in 2012. Plastic, not surprisingly makes up over 78% of the waste on the beaches including many ‘single use’ items such as drinks bottles, food wrappers and broken pieces of plastic. There were also many short pieces of blue string and rope, which are likely to have come from the fishing industry.

The surveys are carried out 4 times a year by trained volunteers across ten ‘reference’ beaches around our coasts. The surveys are funded by the Department of Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) and all the data collected feeds into the OSPAR Commission Database helping with decision-making around marine litter in the North East Atlantic from Iceland to Portugal. The data is accessible to anyone and at every reference beach it is collected in the same way at the same time of the year.

Commenting on the 2018 Report, David Small - Head of DAERA Environment, Marine and Fisheries Group said, “I would like to thank and congratulate Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and their network of volunteers on the marvellous work they have been doing to address the problem of marine litter pollution.

Marine litter pollution is a massive problem and one which can only be addressed by everyone playing their part. It is crucial that we continue to find ways to ensure our lifestyle choices don’t impact negatively on the environment, and the resources we depend on such as water, air, food and energy.”

Every one of the reference beaches are cleaned within two weeks of the survey by a range of volunteers from families and local groups to schools and businesses.

Nearly 3000 volunteers are involved in cleaning up the reference beaches, and they have collected over 1 million pieces of litter (December 2018) and over 5000 bags of litter have been removed.

Dr. Berman from Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful stated, “Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful may be on the cover of the Marine Litter Report, but it is the volunteers and groups who not only record every piece of litter on the beach but also clean up too making out beaches better places for everyone”

There is a surge of interest in people wanted to get out and clean up their local areas. Doing good feels good and doing good together feels even better. There are many amazing groups out there and people are thinking more about using a refillable bottle and taking their own home made packed lunch to work or school to reduce their waste.

We have beautiful beaches in Northern Ireland. There are many dedicated people who help keep them that way. Why not come out and join them or sign up to adopt a spot near you? Everywhere is connected to the sea so you can make a difference by acting local.

You can read the full report at www.keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org.

ENDS

To speak to a press spokesperson or more information please contact Dr Jade Berman, Local Environmental Quality & Business Development Manager for Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful at: jade.berman@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org T: 028 90736920

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful have announced 25 of the best beaches and marinas at their annual beach and marina awards. The event also highlighted the work of the EU SWIM project on bathing water quality monitoring

Beach and Marina Operators received 13 national and 12 international awards for excellence in facilities, environmental management, environmental education, accessibility and water quality.

The internationally renowned Blue Flag will be flown at 8 of Northern Ireland’s beaches and 4 marinas during the 2019 season. The Blue Flag award is certified by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and has 45 participating countries. In 2019 Blue Flags have been awarded to 4,560 beaches, marinas and boats worldwide. Beach and marina operators receiving a Blue Flag are demonstrating their commitment to protecting the coastal environment, excellent water quality, safety, and providing access for all. Fun educational activities are also available at these sites.

The Seaside Award is the national standard for beaches across the UK. This programme ensures visitors of a clean, safe, attractive and well-managed beach with the facilities provided being appropriate for the location of the beach. Twelve beaches have received the Seaside Award in 2019 and they can be identified by the Seaside Award Flag or Plaque.

The Blue Flag and Seaside Awards may only be flown if all the criteria are successfully met and maintained throughout the summer season.

One of Northern Ireland’s beaches, Helens Bay, received the Green Coast Award, which recognises an agreement between the operator and the local community to protect and promote a natural beach environment rather than developing visitor infrastructure. Green Coast Award beaches can also be found in the Republic of Ireland and in Wales, but due to their more natural state, may not be flying a flag.

Northern Ireland’s coastline has some iconic sights, and many of our award winning beaches include or are next to Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty with specially protected habitats and species forming a large part of the experience visitors enjoy. The aim of these award programmes is to improve the connection between people and their surroundings by encouraging them to spend more time in and learn more about their coastal environment. Most award winning beaches and marinas provide information points to showcase the best of Northern Ireland’s wildlife and provide visitors with information on how they can enjoy these natural wonders without disturbing or damaging them.

Information on all the award winning beaches and marinas can be found at www.beachni.com or by picking up an award winning beaches and marinas leaflet from your nearest Tourist Information Centre.

The awards were presented on 30th May 2019, in time for the bathing season, which runs from 1st June until the 15th September each year. The awards event also provided an update on the work of the EU SWIM Project on bathing water quality monitoring.

Ian Humphreys, Chief Executive of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, said “For your health, for good old fashioned ‘screen free’ fun and for helping us realise the wonder of our natural environment, it is hard to beat a visit to our coast or lough shores. Behind every enjoyable experience is a small team of committed beach and marina operators who toil year round to keep these places in pristine condition. These awards are one way of recognising their ongoing dedication and of course advertising the best very places to take a holiday.”

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful is also one of the partners of the EU SWIM Project (System for Bathing Water Quality Monitoring). It is a cross-border research project funded by the INTERREG VA Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body, which is in the final stages of developing a system for live bathing water monitoring. The EU SWIM Project combines the expertise of lead partner University College Dublin and partners, Agri-Food Bioscience Institute and Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful. The development of a bathing water quality prediction model uses the data collected by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, (DAERA) Marine and Fisheries Division and directly links into software to support the collection of data and delivery of information to the public.

Ian Humphreys added:

“The addition of the EU SWIM bathing water quality app will complement the Beach and Marina awards by ensuring the public are informed of the water quality status at the nine beaches being monitored across Northern Ireland and the Republic. The app that is being developed will provide peace of mind to bathers in the future that the water is of sufficient quality before they visit the beach. The app will be refined during the 2019 season. ”

DAERA currently monitors 26 identified bathing water sites across Northern Ireland on a weekly basis during the bathing season and is also contributing to the EU SWIM Project.

David Small Deputy Secretary (Environment, Marine and Fisheries Group) commented:

“I am delighted that so many of Northern Ireland’s beaches have received the coveted Blue Flag, Seaside and Green Coast Awards. These awards and the recognition that our first-class marinas have received, are testament to the hard work and dedication of those who manage our beaches and marinas. These outstanding awards let people around the world know that Northern Ireland is not only open for business but that our beaches, marinas and coastline are great destinations; clean, healthy and safe to enjoy, and supporting our vision of a living, working, active landscape valued by everyone.”

Notes to editors

For reference:

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council

Blue Flag

1. Cranfield West Beach

2. Murlough Beach

3. Tyrella Beach

Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council

Blue Flag

4. Benone Beach

5. Downhill Beach

6. West Strand

7. Whiterocks Beach

8. Ballycastle Marina

Seaside Award

9. Ballycastle Beach

10. Castlerock Beach

11. Portrush East Strand

12. Waterfoot Beach

Ards and North Down Borough Council

Seaside Award

13. Ballywalter Beach

14. Groomsport Beach

15. Millisle Beach

16. Cloughey Beach

Department of Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA)

Seaside Award

17. Crawfordsburn Beach

Green Coast Award

18. Helen’s Bay Beach

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council

Blue Flag

19. Carrickfergus Marina

Seaside Award

20. Ballygally Beach

21. Brown’s Bay

22. Carnlough Beach

Mid Ulster District Council

Blue Flag

23. Ballyronan Marina

National Trust

Blue Flag

24. Portstewart Strand

Quay Marinas Limited

Blue Flag

25. Bangor Marina

Seaside Award – 12

Blue Flag – 8 beaches 4 Marinas

Green Coast - 1

Today Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful launches its manifesto for the upcoming local government elections. The manifesto outlines specific proposals to help each council make improves in their local area over the next four years. This year we have put an emphasis on environmental education, community engagement and improving environmental standards.

Speaking about the launch of the manifesto, our Chief Executive Ian Humphreys said;

“Our aim is to continue changing behaviours across Northern Ireland. We have always worked incredibly well with councils in tackling key issues such as littering, dog fouling and public attitudes towards our environment. There has been a lot of progress since 2014, but we still have some distance to go. We need to go further and at a faster rate than we have in the past. The proposals our organisation launches today are another important stepping stone towards the better society that we want to build.”

He added;

“I am asking every candidate standing for election, to back our five positive policies for the next term of office. If each council can implement these five key asks then we will be able to achieve some important environmental improvements by 2023. At this stage for our climate, change simply cannot wait”

If you would like more information please contact, Ian Humphreys, Tel 90736920, Email; ian.humphreys@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org

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Manifesto

Volunteers Lift Millionth Piece of Marine Litter

David McCann   Mon 03 Dec 2018

Rostrevor was the scene of an historic moment last month, as volunteers for Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful carried out a clean-up on the town’s beach and lifted the millionth piece of litter that the environmental charity has counted across the ten beaches that they survey nationwide.

The organisation has been carrying out these surveys since 2012, using a well-trained group of dedicated volunteers to assess the levels of marine litter washed up on some of our best loved and most iconic beaches. Once the litter count is complete, another team of volunteers then follow in behind and bag it all up, ensuring that our beaches are kept as clean as possible while also allowing relevant data to be gathered on the extent of the marine litter issue. These data are then used to publish their annual Marine Litter Report and are also uploaded to the OSPAR Commission’s database – a portal that receives data from a number of other countries in North East Europe. This information can then be used to develop policy and research potential solutions to the issue, which has come under intense public scrutiny within the last year.

Whilst one million pieces of litter may seem like a shocking figure for some, to others it is not at all surprising. Freddie Harris, the Cleaner Neighbourhoods Manager at Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, said, “We see a ridiculous amount of litter on some of our survey beaches. The number we have reached this month is obviously a big milestone, but it’s hard to be too pleased about it because it’s a clear sign that we’re not doing enough to combat the problem. We can collect data, write reports and inform policy makers as much as we like, but unless we also engage with the public in a way that energises them to change the way they act, we’re fighting a losing battle. We would ask everyone to think about their daily habits with regards to waste, whether it’s taking reuseable bags with them to the shops, or bringing their refillable mug to the café – we can all do our bit to help. The most worrying aspect of this for me is that if you look at the data from 2012 to 2017, 79% of all the litter we’ve counted has been plastic. This is a material that never disappears from our environment – it just gets smaller and smaller until it works its way into the food chain and our drinking water. That can’t be healthy.”

The charity also announced that they have just received funding from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to run a programme that will specifically target Single Use Plastics, assessing their use in Northern Ireland and looking at ways in which that can be reduced to help address the overall issue of litter in our local environment.

ENDS//

To speak to a programme spokesperson, please contact Dr Ian Humphreys, CEO, at ian.humphreys@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org or on 028 90 736 920.

The Green Key award is the leading global standard for excellence in the field of environmental responsibility and sustainable operation within the tourism industry. Currently operating in 57 countries with over 2900 establishments achieving award status in 2018, Green Key is a voluntary eco-label that visitors from all over the world will recognise and value. Green Key is managed by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), and is recognised and supported by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Green Key criteria are recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council.

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful invites you to attend a breakfast briefing with Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and Green Key Global to learn how this certification programme can benefit your business and the Northern Ireland tourism product as a whole.

Key Note Speaker- Finn Bolding Thomsen

Finn Bolding Thomsen has worked more than 20 years for the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), which is an international environmental organisation with members in more than 75 countries. As part of his work for FEE, Finn has travelled all over the world. Prior to taking the position as Managing Director, Finn acquired extensive experience with programme management being the International Coordinator of the Blue Flag Programme, which is a sustainable tourism programme for beaches and marinas. He also had the position as the national Coordinator of the Young Reporters for the Environment Programme, which is an environmental education and communication programme for secondary school students.

In his current position as International Green Key Director, he is in charge of the overall administrative management as well as the strategic development of the Green Key programme. The work includes development of criteria, harmonisation of the programme, reporting to the Green Key International Steering Committee and FEE Board of Directors, PR and communication, contacts to corporate partners, international hotel chain partners, web partners and institutional partners, managing Green Key establishments in countries without a national operator, conducting audits, etc.

Venue

Allstate NI Belfast

10 Mays Meadow,

Belfast,

N. Ireland

BT1 3PH

Contact Details

Please RSVP to Karina Robinson, Projects and Events Officer: Karina.Robinson@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org

If you wish to discuss this proposal further please do not hesitate to contact:

Ian Humphreys, Chief Executive: Ian.Humphreys@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org

Jennifer Firth, Certifications Manager: Jennifer.Firth@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org

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Green Key Breakfast Briefing

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and Derry City and Strabane District Council invite you to attend our City2Sea: Pathways for Litter Conference in The Guildhall, Guildhall Street, Derry~Londonderry, BT48 6DQ on Monday 22nd October 2018.

This conference is an opportunity for local authorities, businesses, NGOs and other engaged stakeholders to come together and examine the various issues around river litter and the potential solutions presented.

This year’s conference, featuring a range of international and national contributors, will be hosted in the grand surroundings of the Guildhall in Derry/Londonderry. The theme is very timely – Pathways for Litter and Single Use Plastics. TV coverage such as Blue Planet II andSky Ocean Rescue, and initiatives like the UK Plastics Pact, has ensured that this issue has never received so much media attention. Today it is firmly placed in the public consciousness. It is no surprise, therefore, to see it rising on the political agenda, both in Europe and at home, with the EU Waste Directive covering litter for the first time ever and interventions on plastic very much to the fore.

Join us as we hear from a brilliant line up of speakers including Eunomia Senior Consultant, Dr Chiarina Darrah; Councillor Rachel Woods, Green Party; Sinead McCoy, An Taisce; Dr Ian Humphreys, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful; Jim Keys, Zero Waste North West and Sean Lynch, Open Litter Map.

For more details and to register please contact Karina.Robinson@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org.

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city2 sea conference

Vote for Your Favourite Green Flag Park

---   Thu 06 Sep 2018   updated: Tue 11 Sep 2018

We all have a favourite park and now’s the time to vote for yours.

Vote for your favourite park and show how the UK loves parks.

The experts have had their say and in July 1,883 parks and green spaces in the UK were given a prestigious Green Flag Award.

Now, the Award Scheme is asking the nation to have its say and decide which parks and green spaces should receive the People’s Choice Award for being the UK’s favourites.

Whether you enjoy visiting a park or green space to play football, walk the dog, exercise or simply get away from the hustle and bustle, if you think your favourite deserves to be in the top 10 People’s Choice then cast your vote.

All you have to do is go to www.greenflagaward.org, find your park on the winners map and click the voting button. Once you’ve registered your vote, why not encourage others to get involved too through social media using the hashtag #PeoplesChoice.

Voting opens 1 September and closes 30 September, with the top 10 sites being announced on 16 October.

Paul Todd, Green Flag Award Manager said: "This year 1883 parks and green spaces met the tough standards demanded by our Green Flag Award Judges but we want to know which parks the UK public love the most.

The People’s Choice award is a chance to show how much your favourite park means to you. If it’s worth shouting about, make your voice heard and vote now.”

Paul Rabbitts Head of Parks, Open Spaces & Projects whose Cassiobury Park was among the top 10 winners last year said:

“Cassiobury Park is often referred to as the jewel in our crown here in Watford. We are immensely proud of it and we truly believe it is one of the finest parks in the country and are delighted it was voted as one of the top ten parks last year. We will certainly be hoping it is as popular again this year”

Last year’s top 10 People’s Choice winners were:

  • Arlington Square Gardens-Arlington Association

  • Cassiobury Park-Watford Borough Council

  • Clifton Park-Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council

  • Margam Park-Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council

  • Millennium Country Park-Forest of Marston Vale Trust

  • Saltwell Park-Gateshead Council

  • Strathaven Park-South Lanarkshire Council

  • The Wilderness Lake Porthcawl-Bridgend County Borough Council

  • Warley Woods-Warley Woods Community Trust

  • Whiteknights-University of Reading

Record Number of Parks Achieve the Green Flag Award

David McCann   Thu 26 Jul 2018

Today, environmental charity Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful revealed an ever growing number of parks and green spaces that have been awarded a prestigious Green Flag Award.

The Hill of the O’Neill in Dungannon provided the perfect backdrop as a record 71 parks and green spaces in Northern Ireland received their Green Flag Award for exceeding tough environmental standards for green space management and visitor facilities. The Green Flag Award is an internationally recognised certification for environmental quality management for parks and open, green spaces and is growing from strength to strength.

For the 2018/19 season, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful saw a continued increase in public parks, gardens, country parks, cemeteries and green spaces meeting the demanding standards.

There were 9 first-time winners this year across all participating council areas, including: Belmont Cemetery in Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council; Loughgall Country Park and Portadown People's Park in Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon Borough Council; Connswater Community Greenway and Half Moon Lake in Belfast City Council; Broadmeadow in Fermanagh and Omagh District Council; Moat Park in Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council; Hill of The O’Neill in Mid Ulster District Council and Kilbroney Park in Newry, Mourne and Down District Council.

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful also celebrates The Green Flag Community Award and The Green Heritage Award for sites which conserve, enhance and help people enjoy the heritage value of the site. Rathfern Activity Centre and Toome Linear Park received their first Green Flag Community Awards and Ballyeaston Church Ruin received its third Green Flag Community Award; these sites are managed and maintained by volunteers from the local communities. Belfast Botanic Gardens and The Mall in Armagh receives their first Green Heritage Award with Antrim Castle Gardens and Sentry Hill Historic House and Visitor Centre receiving their third Green Heritage Awards; these sites celebrate and promote elements of their heritage that make their site unique. There are now more places than ever for the public to enjoy high quality outdoor spaces in Northern Ireland.

This year 48 sites in the Republic of Ireland have also received the Green Flag Awards, further highlighting the growth of this top quality award. In Ireland the scheme is managed locally by An Taisce, the National Trust for Ireland.

The Green Flag Awards are judged annually by green space experts, who volunteer their time to visit applicant sites and assess them against eight strict criteria, ranging from horticultural standards, cleanliness, sustainability and community involvement.

Dr Ian Humphreys, Chief Executive of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful said:

“We are delighted to be celebrating another record-breaking year for the Green Flag Award scheme.

We are proud to have so many wonderful green spaces in Northern Ireland for people to experience, and encourage the public to head outdoors.

The Green Flag Award is a sign of a well-managed, clean and safe park and with many people increasingly relying on their local park as a place to exercise, relax and have fun, quality green space has never been more important.

Research shows that people will only visit a park if they perceive it to be clean and safe; and the Green Flag Award is an easy way for the public to see at a glance that their park meets the highest standards.

All the flags flying this year are a testament to the efforts of the hundreds of men and women, both staff and volunteers, who work tirelessly to maintain the high standards demanded by the Green Flag Award.”

If you are interested in finding out further information about the Green Flag Award or other programmes run by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful please e-mail us on

enquiries@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org call us on 028 9073 6920 or check out our website www.keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org.

Rural Areas in Serious Need of Summer Love

David McCann   Fri 22 Jun 2018

The image conjured up when you hear the words ‘summer’ and ‘countryside’ is normally one of rolling green hills, quiet country roads and hedgerows bustling with wildlife, but when tourists visit one of our rural areas they are likely to encounter a much different scene – one filled with rubbish.

The most recent Cleaner Neighbourhoods Report published by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful shows that 39% of rural roads surveyed across the country failed to meet the accepted standard for litter in 2017/18. This is 13 times higher than the 3% of transects that failed in city and town centres.

While no data was collected to show the frequency of littering events in these areas and whether one was higher than the other, it is clear that city and town areas are cleansed on a much more frequent basis than their rural counterparts. Most Councils dispatch cleansing teams to their towns and cities on a daily basis, but some country roads are only cleaned once every six months and even less than that in some cases.

According to a recent NISRA bulletin, there have never been more tourists coming to Northern Ireland, with an estimated 2.7 million overnight trips from external visitors in 2017 contributing a massive £657 million to the local economy. With the route between our two most visited attractions involving travel along rural roads, tourists are almost guaranteed to catch an eyeful of our littered hedgerows, perhaps making that return trip all the less likely.

Freddie Harris, the Cleaner Neighbourhoods Manager for Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, said “The case for keeping our country clean is clear cut. The results from our surveys show that rural litter is a real problem and it will have a real impact on both our environment and our economy. It is sad that some people are so inconsiderate that they don’t recognise the damage even one small piece of litter can do to our environment. All of our waste ends up somewhere and sadly in most cases it is our beautiful countryside that is bearing the brunt.

Studies have shown that litter can have an adverse effect on tourism and it is really important that our local authorities are proactive in keeping the greenest parts of our province beautiful for the millions of visitors to enjoy.

While we understand that limited resources may have to be stretched thin, the indirect costs of littering can spiral into the hundreds of millions of pounds with negative effects on property values, crime rates and mental health. We are ready and willing to help our local Councils alleviate this issue as much as possible and for us that starts with litter prevention through a variety of public engagement, behaviour change and awareness programmes.”

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful have presented Beach and Marina Operators with 12 national and 11 internationally recognised awards for excellence in facilities, environmental management, education and water quality.

The international Blue Flag will be flown at 9 of Northern Ireland’s beaches and 2 marinas to signify world class facilities and destinations. The Blue Flag is an award programme certified by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). 45 countries participate in awarding Blue Flags to more than 4400 beaches, marinas and boats worldwide making this award accessible to local beach goers and tourists alike. Beaches and marinas with a Blue Flag are demonstrating their commitment to protecting the coastal environment, excellent water quality, safety, and access for all. Blue Flag beaches and marinas also offer environmental education activities, as an important part of the award criteria. Beaches and Marinas may only fly the Blue Flag if all the criteria are successfully met throughout the summer season.

The Seaside Award is the national standard for beaches across the UK. The standards required by this programme ensure visitors are guaranteed to find a clean, safe, attractive and well-managed coastal environment with varied levels of facilities provided depending on the location of the beach. 11 beaches have been recognised by this award and can be identified by the Seaside Award Flag or Plaque.

1 of our more rural beaches has received the Green Coast Award, which recognises an agreement between the operator and the local community to protect and promote a natural beach environment rather than developing visitor infrastructure. Green Coast Award beaches can also be found in the Republic of Ireland and in Wales, but due to their more natural state, may not be flying a flag.

Northern Ireland’s coastline has some iconic sights, and many of our awarded beaches include or are next to Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty with specially protected habitats and species forming a large part of the experience visitors enjoy. The aim of these award programmes is to improve the connection between people and their surroundings by encouraging them to learn more about and spend time in their outdoor environment. Most award winning beaches and marinas provide information points to showcase the best of our wildlife and how visitors can enjoy these natural wonders without disturbing or damaging them.

Information on all the award winning beaches and marinas can be found at www.beachni.com or by picking up an Award Winning Beaches Leaflet from your nearest Tourist Information Centre.

The awards were presented on 24th May 2018, in time for the bathing season, which runs from 1st June until the 15th September each year.

Ian Humphreys, Chief Executive of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, said “We can turn up just about anywhere along Northern Ireland’s coastline and lough shores and know you will enjoy world beating scenery. It is thanks to the hard work of dedicated beach and marina operators, achieving prestigious awards, that our experience is matched by impressive standards for facilities, cleanliness and safety that we all want and expect. The pride they take in their work is evident for us all to see when we visit our own special places.”

When it comes to litter, rural areas have the highest amount of litter across the country, with up to 13 times the amount of litter found in our town and city centres. That’s according to this year’s Cleaner Neighbourhoods Report from the environmental charity, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful.

Across all Council areas, 39% of rural transects failed the accepted standard for litter, compared to 13% for secondary retail areas and only 3% for primary retail zones. This may be due to scarce resources increasingly being focused on areas with a higher footfall, or Councils being careful not to put their staff in harm’s way on country roads. Subsequently, the proportion of litter coming from motorists overall has increased from 26% to 30%, as 95% of the litter in rural areas comes from passing vehicles.

It’s not all bad news, however. The percentage of transects completely free of litter has seen a leap from 5% to 12%, the highest it has been since the litter reports began in 2010. Furthermore, the report also states that the average number of surveyed transects across all land uses that failed has remained steady from last year at 15%, while those suffering from dog fouling has also stayed the same at 6%.

Levels of engagement and education have also increased proportionately this year, with over 111,000 people getting involved with civic pride initiatives through the Live Here Love Here campaign and 273 schools earning the right to fly the coveted Green Flag, the pinnacle of the Eco-Schools programme. The number of Fixed Penalty Notices issued by Council Enforcement Officers has dropped however, down 13% on last year’s figures. Dr Ian Humphreys, CEO of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful says the answer to the litter issue lies in a balance to these approaches. He added, “We know people will stop littering if they think they will be fined. So removing the postcode lottery from this important measure is a must. Supporting education through Eco-Schools and positive community action through Live Here Love Here are also key facets of the overall solution. Finally, we must all play our part in challenging those who defile our towns and countryside.”

The report concludes with a number of recommendations for combating the litter problem, which tie in with the publication of recent EU Waste Directive Amendments that are also included in the work. It’s yet to be seen how much of this legislation will survive the Brexit process, much less be adopted by the Northern Ireland Assembly, but steps clearly need to be taken to stem an issue that is disproportionately effecting our countryside.

New Marine Litter Report Reveals Extent of Plastic Pollution on Northern Ireland’s Beaches

David McCann   Tue 06 Mar 2018   updated: Fri 09 Mar 2018

The 2017 Marine Litter Report, published today by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, has laid bare the state of our beaches in Northern Ireland when it comes to the litter landing on our shores. The organisation began these surveys in 2012, with an average of 510 items of litter being found per 100m of beach between then and now. An astonishing 79% of this litter was made of plastic, a figure that rises to 82% when you look at the 2017 data in isolation. Incredibly, 30% of the litter was a 'single use plastic', so called because the item is used once and then thrown away.

Much has been made of the plastic problem in the media recently, with shows like ‘Blue Planet II’ and the ‘Sky Ocean Rescue’ campaign shining the spotlight on what is a global issue and requires a global response. The Marine Litter Report also lends some insight into the matter, looking at the specific harm that plastic poses to some of our most beloved and protected marine animals. From leatherback turtles to the iconic Atlantic puffin, it seems that no creature is immune from the ubiquitous material and it is estimated that up to 99% of all seabirds will have ingested plastic by 2050 if no fundamental changes to plastic and waste consumption occurs. Furthermore, tiny fragments of plastic known as ‘microplastics’ have been found in 83% of tap water samples taken all around the world. This, combined with the plastics being found in our seafood, is a clear pathway for entry into the human body.

Dr Ian Humphreys from Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful thinks the tide is starting to turn on marine litter, saying, “The damaging effects of littering, particularly of single use plastics that end up polluting our oceans, is clearly highlighted in this year's report, which shows four items of litter for every step that we take along our coast. Thankfully, most people don't litter, and growing awareness and calls for action spell the beginning of the end for this highly anti-social behaviour.”

The report also highlights the fantastic work being done by groups of volunteers from a range of different organisations. Over the course of 1,345 hours, 461 volunteers lifted 850 bags of rubbish across the ten beaches surveyed. This is just one form of environmental leadership outlined in the publication, which also draws attention to Ards and North Down Borough Council, who recently passed a motion to promote eco-friendly alternatives to single use plastics such as coffee cups and plastic straws. Schools have also been getting involved, with Mill Strand Integrated Primary School banning all plastic straws after one of their pupils saw a disturbing image of a turtle with a straw up its nose on social media.

The full report can now be downloaded from the Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful website.

The marine litter surveys are carried out four times a year by trained members of staff and dedicated volunteers. The data collected is also used by DAERA and the OSPAR Commission.

ENDS//

To speak to a programme spokesperson, please contact Freddie Harris, Cleaner Neighbourhoods Manager, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful at freddie.harris@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org or on 028 9073 6920 / 077 9664 7012 or Chief Executive, Dr Ian Humphreys on 028 9073 6920/ 07905613546

Council spending on cleaning streets, roads and open spaces has seen a significant increase of 5% during the last financial year, amounting to a total of £45,562,532 across Northern Ireland. This comes as a result of deploying extra resources to keep our streets clean. However, the practice of issuing Fixed Penalty Notices (FPN) for dropping litter and dog fouling has dropped by 13% on last year. As such, there is a greater focus on cleaning up after litterers across the province rather than fining offenders in the first place.

The figures, which were gathered by environmental charity Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful from Council financial statements and records of enforcement, show the true cost that litter passes on to all of us, despite being dropped by only a few. To put the spend figure into context, it’s almost half the amount spent on constructing the iconic Titanic Belfast museum, or the purchase cost of over 100,000 new street bins.

The money used to pay for the clean-up costs comes from our rates, with the average charge to every domestic rate payer in Northern Ireland sitting at just over £57 for last year.

This is particularly interesting given the amount of money being recovered in fines compared to the amount being spent on cleaning. The stand out performer here was Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council, who managed to recoup 0.77% of the amount through the payment of Fixed Penalty Notices. This may seem a small number, but it was 37 times more than the Council who recovered the least through fines, thus showing potential to offset some of these costs to the ratepayer. The total raised by Fixed Penalty Notices to be set against the cost of cleansing was just £169,588, less than 0.5% of the total cost.

Dr Ian Humphreys, Chief Executive of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, said “Fining litterers is a part of the solution to the global problem of litter and with the real dangers of particularly plastic pollution now widely understood, there is no excuse for littering behaviour. Relying on the hard working Council street cleaning teams, and the army of volunteers who are dedicated to quietly cleaning up their local patch, is no longer acceptable. Thankfully, most people put their rubbish in the bin and many are joining Live Here Love Here and helping create cleaner, more responsible and prouder communities.”

Those penalised for dropping litter has decreased from 3,724 to 3,158 – a worrying trend considering the fact that we are spending more on the clean up operation. Surveys carried out by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful have shown that the percentage of our streets that failed to meet an acceptable standard has remained at 15% from last year. On a more positive note, however, the same surveys indicate that there has been a remarkable 7% rise in streets categorised as completely free of litter. Equally encouraging, more enforcement action has been taken to curb dog fouling on our streets.

Councils are also investing in anti-litter initiatives such as Live Here Love Here, a public engagement campaign supported by nine of the eleven Councils, the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, NI Housing Executive, Choice Housing, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s and Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful.

The full 2017/18 Cleaner Neighbourhoods Report by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful will be published at the end of March.

Green Key Launches in Northern Ireland

David McCann   Wed 10 Jan 2018

Local environmental charity Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful is introducing Green Key to Northern Ireland. Green Key is an internationally recognised eco-certification for the hospitality sector, thereby boosting the local tourism and hospitality industry and championing sustainable best practices.

Green Key is one of five programmes run under the auspices of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and will be locally operated by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful. The eco-label is currently available in 56 countries across the globe and boasts over 2,700 certified establishments, making it the largest eco-label in the hospitality industry. Green Key criteria are recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council – a key indicator of environmental quality assurance – in an otherwise often unregulated market for eco-labels. Green Key is available for hotels and hostels, small accommodations, campsites and holiday parks, conference centres and restaurants.

Dr Susann Power, Operations Manager at Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and Green Key National Operator states: “A Green Key stands for an establishment’s promise to its guests that by opting to stay with such an establishment, they are helping to make a difference on an environmental and sustainability level. Researchers at the University of Québec have demonstrated that customers generally perceive eco-certifications as favourable and that customer satisfaction levels increase when a hotel has adopted sustainable operations and has been awarded an eco-certification. Green Key is thus a real opportunity for hospitality businesses in Northern Ireland to target those discerning visitors.”

Finn Bolding Thomsen, International Green Key Director at the Foundation for Environmental Education explains: “Green Key is a well-proven and recognised international programme for establishments in the hospitality industry. More and more establishments wish to work with its sustainability efforts, so Green Key is experiencing a growth in number of participating establishments and number of countries with awarded establishments. I am very happy to see the programme now also being launched in Northern Ireland so that interested businesses can obtain local support from Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful for the implementation of Green Key.”

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, a member of the Foundation for Environmental Education, is ideally placed to operate Green Key locally, already managing the Blue Flag, Seaside Awards, Green Coast Awards, Green Flag for Parks, Green Business Award and Eco-Schools and EcoCampus as well established eco-labels in the province. The charity is committed to providing guidance and support for businesses, schools and destinations to reach their full sustainability potential.

Hospitality businesses interested in learning more about Green Key and how it can help them boost their green credentials should contact Dr Susann Power at susann.power@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org or on 028 9073 6920, or visit www.greenkey-ni.org.

Belfast pupils turn recycling into a tasty treat.

David McCann   Fri 15 Dec 2017

Schools across Belfast are tackling the important topic of food waste with the launch of the exciting Wheelie Big Challenge run by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, Eco-Schools and supported by Belfast City Council. With alarming figures like 7 million tonnes of food being thrown away from UK homes every year, pupils are investigating what can be done in school and at home to reduce waste.

Pupils from Botanic Primary School have discovered that recycling food at school and at home means great compost, and great compost means great veggies! They have seen the process full circle to the benefit of their school vegetable patch. They also know it is not just their vegetables that benefit, but the environment as well, as food waste going to landfill is a top contributor to greenhouse gases – 7% of all global greenhouse gas emissions, 3.3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent.

Last year saw pupils from 34 Belfast schools investigate and engage in practical actions to reduce waste, particularly food waste, in school and at home by reducing, reusing and recycling. Botanic Primary School placed food caddies in all their classrooms and managed to reduce the food in their bins by over 90%. They went on to impress the judges at the Wheelie Big Challenge competition in June and scooped first prize and £500 for their eco work.

Ruth Van Ry, Environmental Education Manager, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful said: “The Wheelie Big Challenge is an action based, fun project and competition for all schools in Belfast to think about how they could improve the environment by reducing waste and recycling more. We are delighted to be once again supported by Belfast City Council and are looking forward to seeing all the interesting ideas from schools. We invite all school pupils in Belfast to put their eco-thinking caps on and get involved”.

Alderman Tommy Sandford, Chair of the People and Communities Committee, Belfast City Council said: “We are pleased to be working with Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful again on this competition, building on the success of the past few years. This competition gives schools the opportunity to win great prizes while helping to protect the environment and reduce waste disposal costs. With research showing that around a third of food is wasted, we hope this competition will encourage pupils and their families to think about the food they waste at home and in school and do something about it. ”

The Wheelie Big Challenge is open now to all schools in Belfast City Council and will run until April. You can register your interest in the competition and receive resources and information by emailing cathy.gorman@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org or by calling 02890 736920.

The Eco-Schools Programme is the world’s largest environmental education programme which aims to make environmental awareness and action an intrinsic part of school life. Eco-Schools work through a simple seven step process to implement behavioural change and study a range of topics, such as waste, litter and energy. By participating in projects such as the Wheelie Big Challenge schools throughout Belfast will be able to reduce their environmental impact and become more sustainable as they work towards their prestigious, internationally recognised Eco-Schools Green Flag award. To find out more please visit www.eco-schoolsni.org.

Pupils on a Mission to Tackle Food Waste

David McCann   Fri 15 Dec 2017

Schools across the country have been tasked with taking on the Food Waste Challenge, run by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and supported by the Department of Agriculture, Environment & Rural Affairs (DAERA).

DAERA was delighted to recently report that Northern Ireland has achieved a 50% recycling rate across the country for all types of waste for the first time. New food waste legislation introduced last April has helped households reach this target, and so it is pertinent that this project is focusing on food waste in particular. Around 10 million tonnes of food, with a value of £17 billion, is wasted in the UK each year - 60% of which could be avoided.

Food is an expensive part of our weekly budget with families in Northern Ireland spending, on average, £64 every week on food. The food we waste can be worth up to one third of the value of our shopping spend. Across Northern Ireland we waste the equivalent of up to six meals per week. As such, food waste going to landfill is placing a strain on our purses and the environment, 20% of the UK’s CO2 eq. emissions comes from food and waste.

The Eco-Schools programme, run by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, is a pupil-led, environmental education programme, which encourages a hands-on approach to creating a more sustainable school and home environment. With an estimated half of all waste in schools being food waste it is a really important issue to tackle.

Pupils will be asked to highlight the great resource that could be produced from recycling food waste, namely compost. Not only will pupils learn about the 3R’s of Reducing, Reusing and Recycling food waste, but they will also learn about the great benefits to the environment that making compost has too.

Owen Lyttle, Head of Waste Policy, DAERA said: “With more household waste being recycled now than being landfilled in Northern Ireland this Food Waste Challenge provides a timely reminder to families to keep up the good work. Christmas is just around the corner and now is a good time to re-emphasise the need to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle as much as possible. The Department of Agriculture, Environment & Rural Affairs applauds the enthusiasm of all the schools and pupils involved in the Challenge through their Eco-Schools work.”

Ruth Van Ry, Environmental Education Manager, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, said: “We are delighted to be supported by DAERA in this Food Waste Challenge. It is a great opportunity for pupils to examine the issue and take real practical actions to make a positive change in school and at home. We are looking forward to seeing all the fabulous ideas they will have.”

Participating schools will have the chance to win prizes for their photos of school and home based actions. £200 for the best photo – in each council area - and a further £300 for the best overall school actions.

By participating in projects such as the Food Waste Challenge schools will be able to reduce their environmental impact and become more sustainable as they work towards their prestigious, internationally recognised Eco-Schools Green Flag award. To find out more please visit www.eco-schoolsni.org.

Belfast, 7th December 2017: A cross-border research project for developing a system for live bathing water monitoring is launched today at a prestigious event at Titanic Belfast, including presentations from project funders, partners and a stakeholder forum. This project has been funded by the EU’s INTERREG VA Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body.

The EU SWIM Project – as it is known – combines the expertise of lead partner University College Dublin and Northern Irish project partners Agri-Food Bioscience Institute and Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, aiming to develop a system that will allow bathers to check the water quality of their chosen bathing spots live before taking the dip. The development of a bathing water quality prediction model will directly tie into software to support the collection of data and delivery of information to the public.

Match-funded by the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) in Northern Ireland and the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government in Ireland, this research takes place across sites in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland – a cross-border initiative supported by the Interreg VA funding scheme.

Welcoming the project Gina McIntyre, CEO of the Special EU Programmes Body said: “This innovative cross-border project represents a real step-change in how bathing water quality is monitored and will provide invaluable, real-time information on water quality for the general public on both sides of the border. It will make a significant contribution towards meeting the EU’s Bathing Water Directive, and therefore help meet one of the core environmental protection objectives of the INTERREG VA Programme.”

Professor Gregory O’Hare of University College Dublin explains “The EU SWIM Project will not only develop a bathing water prediction model and allow water sampling and microbial tracking, it will also result in the creation of an app and a website with real-life updates; which crucially promotes good management, environmental standards and sustainability for beaches on the island of Ireland.”

The research is scheduled to take place between now and December 2019. Regular updates can be found on www.swimproject.eu

ENDS//

To speak to a press spokesperson, please contact Dr Susann Power, Operations Manager, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful on susann.power@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org or 02890 736920.

University College Dublin

UCD is one of Europe's leading research-intensive universities; an environment where undergraduate education, masters and PhD training, research, innovation and community engagement form a dynamic spectrum of activity. The international standing of UCD has grown in recent years; it is currently ranked within the top 1% of institutions world-wide. USC is also Ireland's most globally engaged university with over 30,000 students drawn from over 120 countries, and includes 5,500 students based at locations outside the Republic of Ireland. As Ireland's largest university, with its great strength and diversity of disciplines, UCD embrances its role to contribute to the flourishing of the island of Ireland; through the study and discussion of people, society, business, economy, culture, languages and the creative arts, as well as through research and innovation.

Agri-Food Bioscience Institute

The Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) is a multi-disciplinary scientific institute offering world-class scientific services to a wide range of customers in the agri-food sector. They provide analytical & diagnostic, research & development and scientific training & advice in agriculture, food, animal and plant health, marine and freshwater ecosystems and the agri-environment. They operate across seven sites in Northern Ireland and have a purpose built marine research vessel which operates in the Irish Sea from the Port of Belfast. Their state-of-the-art equipment is used by world-renowned scientists to provide sophisticated and reliable results. They participate in top-level research consortia with some of the world’s most well-respected research organisations, universities and agencies globally, including China, the United States and Canada.

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful is a charity working towards the vision of a cleaner, greener Northern Ireland by running environmental education programmes and awareness raising campaigns, increasing volunteering opportunities and reporting on local environmental quality. Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful runs a range of awareness raising and volunteering campaigns including the BIG Spring Clean and the Clean Coast programme as well as local environmental quality programmes such as international Eco-Schools and Blue Flag programmes, the Seaside Award, Borough Cleanliness Surveys and Live Here Love Here Green Business Awards. For more information, visit www.keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org.

Call for Action!

---   Tue 14 Nov 2017

The Global Environmental Education Partnership (GEEP), of which Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful are a member, announces a global Call for Action for the field of environmental education (EE). Watch the video below and visit www.actnowforee.org to help shape the future!

#ecoschoolsni #ActNowforEE #theGEEP #NAAEE #enviroed #environmentaled

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GEEP Call for Action

On Thursday 5th October, Live Here Love Here and Coca-Cola HBC celebrated the 10th Anniversary of the Coca-Cola Coast Care Awards, held at Parliament Buildings, Stormont. The event, hosted by BBC Weatherman Barra Best, praised and rewarded the efforts of volunteers who have gone the extra mile to clean up and look after our coastline and inland waterways, in a bid to preserve the natural beauty of these areas.

The awards also celebrated the beauty of Northern Ireland’s Coastline and Inland waterways through the Picture Perfect Award; showcasing the beautiful scenery this country has to offer. Guests were entertained by music from talented, young musicians Fourte Strings and visual entertainment by sand sculptor, Tony Hawkins. The guest speaker on the night was writer, surfer and founder of the #2minutebeachclean campaign, Martin Dorey; he spoke from the heart, relating to and encouraging volunteers to continue in their fight against marine litter and highlighting the significance of even the smallest of gestures.

The Live Here Love Here Clean Coasts Programme supports the work of volunteers who clean up beaches, rivers and loughs throughout Northern Ireland, providing equipment and support to these outstanding local heroes. This would not be possible without the continued support of Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland.

The programme was founded in 2007 and in 2008 recorded a total of 110 volunteers. The programme has grown dramatically to a staggering 4642 volunteers in 2016. In 2017, the programme came into its element, with new and innovative events taking place throughout the country. A Clean Up and Drum Circle, a Cycle Sea Safari, Beach Clean and Boot Camp, and an Extreme Cave Clean in the underground rivers of Fermanagh are just a few of the events which engaged local people, both familiar and new to the programme. These events highlighted the effects of marine litter but also showcased the beautiful coastlines and inland waterways that our country has to offer.

Dr Ian Humphreys, Chief Executive of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, said: “Our ten year partnership with Coca-Cola enables us to consistently support a growing movement of people who have the tenacity to keep on cleaning up our coast and inland waterways. Tonight we take the time to celebrate their achievements, their passion and their ‘can-do’ attitude that is keeping Northern Ireland’s shores, loughs, canals and rivers beautiful. It is obvious such volunteers really do live here and love here and their work is truly inspiring. Thank you.”

Louise Sullivan, Director Public Affairs and Communications, Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland said, “We are immensely proud of our long-standing partnership with Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful. As leaders in sustainability, we strive to minimise our impact on the environment and a key element of our efforts are focused on environmental

stewardship within communities. Everyone here tonight has the shared aim of keeping our country as beautiful as possible and I would like to both thank and congratulate everyone in this room for your hard work and dedication in doing so. These awards should act as an inspiration to others and hopefully your example will be followed and we will see many more volunteers around the country caring for our beautiful coast.”

The award winners and honorary mentions are as follows:

Coca-Cola Coast Care Group

Winner: Ballyhornan Development Association

Coca-Cola Inland Waterway Group

Winner: Six Mile Water Trust

Brighter Futures

Joint Winner: Ulidia Integrated College Eco Team

Joint Winner: 29th Belfast Beaver Scouts Carryduff

Better Business Partnership

Winner: Citi Belfast

Local Hero

Winner: Pat Watson, Inland Waterways Association Ireland

Picture Perfect

Winner: Wilbert McIlmoyle

Record Number of Parks Achieve the Green Flag Award

David McCann   Fri 28 Jul 2017

Today, environmental charity Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, in association with Heyn Environmental Solutions, revealed the parks and green spaces that have been awarded a prestigious Green Flag Award.

Bangor Castle provided the perfect backdrop as a record 60 parks and green spaces in Northern Ireland received their Green Flag Award for exceeding tough environmental standards for green space management and visitor facilities. The Green Flag Award is an internationally recognised certification for environmental quality management for parks and open, green spaces.

For the 2017/18 season, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful saw a continued increase in public parks, gardens, country parks, cemeteries and green spaces meeting the demanding standards.

There were 14 first-time winners this year across all participating council areas, including: Jordanstown Loughshore Park, Hazelbank Park and Gideons Green, Mill Race Trail, Valley Park and Wallace Park in Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council; Ballymenoch Park and Londonderry Park in Ards and North Down Borough Council; ABC Canal Greenway, Lough Neagh Conservation Area and The Mall Armagh City in Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon Borough Council; Dunmurry Village and Tullycarnet Park in Belfast City Council; Brooke Park in Derry City and Strabane District Council; Grange Park in Fermanagh and Omagh District Council and Carrickfergus Mill Ponds, Shaftesbury Park & Marine Gardens in Mid and East Antrim Borough Council.

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful also celebrates The Green Flag Community Award and The Green Heritage Award for sites which conserve, enhance and help people enjoy the heritage value of the site.

Ballyeaston Church Ruin received a second Green Flag Community Award for the site which is managed and maintained by volunteers from Ballyeaston Village Committee. Palace Demesne in Armagh receives its first Green Heritage Award with Antrim Castle Gardens and Clotworthy House and Sentry Hill Historic House and Visitor Centre receiving their second Green Heritage Awards. There are now more places than ever for the public to enjoy high quality outdoor spaces in Northern Ireland.

This year 36 sites in the Republic of Ireland have also received the Green Flag Awards, further highlighting the growth of this top quality award. In Ireland the scheme is managed locally by An Taisce, the National Trust for Ireland.

The Green Flag Awards are judged annually by green space experts, who volunteer their time to visit applicant sites and assess them against eight strict criteria, ranging from horticultural standards, cleanliness, sustainability and community involvement.

Dr Ian Humphreys, Chief Executive of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful said:

“We are delighted to be celebrating another record-breaking year for the Green Flag Award scheme.

Parks matter to our society; this year more than 37 million people throughout the UK will visit a park, this is five million more than voted in June’s General Election.

The Green Flag Award is a sign of a well-managed, clean and safe park and with many people increasingly relying on their local park as a place to exercise, relax and have fun, quality green space has never been more important.

Research shows that people will only visit a park if they perceive it to be clean and safe; and the Green Flag Award is an easy way for the public to see at a glance that their park meets the highest standards.

All the flags flying this year are a testament to the efforts of the hundreds of men and women, both staff and volunteers, who work tirelessly to maintain the high standards demanded by the Green Flag Award.”

Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE) is an international programme run by the Foundation for Environmental Education in 34 countries. The programme aims to empower young people to take a stand on environmental issues they feel strongly about and give them a platform to articulate these issues through the media of writing, photography or video in an annual reporting competition. YRE in Northern Ireland is administered by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful through the Eco-Schools programme and is open to students aged 11-21 years.

Ulidia Integrated College, Carrickfergus, a Green Flag Ambassador Eco-School, has been working with Lycee Pole School in Madagascar on a number of environmental projects this year. They teamed up to enter an article in the International Collaboration category of the YRE competition 2017.

The combined project has been very interesting for the two schools, seeing the different issues pupils face in both countries but also their shared concerns and passion to care for the environment. Their article focused on the production and consumption of coffee. The pupils in Madagascar, a coffee growing region, considered the challenges of growing and selling coffee faced by Madagascar farmers. Ulidia pupils considered the benefits of purchasing Fair Trade coffee here at home and how it helps farmers around the world get a fair deal for their crops.

The article was submitted to the International YRE Jury in Copenhagen in June and both schools were delighted to win first place in the International Collaboration category. Their article will now be published in the Huffington Post and is available to read from the YRE website www.yre.global

Ulidia pupils in Year 10 also decided to raise money for the community in Madagascar and together through various activities raised £1500, enough to dig a well for a local primary school close to Lycee Pole.

Ruth Van Ry, Eco-Schools Coordinator Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful said: “We are so pleased that this international collaboration has resulted in a first place prize for these two schools. The environmental issues we face are global and will require a global solution. These young people are setting an example for all of us to follow. Well done to Ulidia for running such a successful Eco-Schools and YRE programmes, we hope they will inspire others to take part too.”

The Eco-Schools programme is delivered to schools throughout Northern Ireland in partnership with a range delivery partners including DAERA and most Councils. For more information or take part in YRE please contact eco-schools@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org or visit www.eco-schoolsni.org

Northern Ireland schools continue to excel in the international Eco-Schools programme, achieving a record number of Green Flag awards for the 6th consecutive year and awarding their 1000th Green Flag.

Eco-Schools is the world's leading environmental education programme. It is a pupil-led initiative with the aim to make environmental awareness and practical action an intrinsic part of school life.

Eco-Schools is operated by environmental charity, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, which is dedicated to inspiring everyone to help make Northern Ireland a cleaner, greener and healthier place in which to live. The programme which has gone from strength-to-strength in recent years is supported by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs.

This year marked a landmark moment when Walker Memorial Primary School, Dungannon, received their first Green Flag and Northern Ireland’s 1000th Green Flag.

Diane Lockhart, Eco-Coordinator at Walker Memorial Primary School said: “The children were totally delighted that we got the 1000th Green Flag. All pupils are very involved with the areas of the Eco-Committee’s action plan it has brought these areas of learning alive. Pupils are highly motivated, inspired and focused to partake in lessons related to Eco-Schools. The programme provides pupils with another avenue of learning, those who are more practical and creative thrive on being involved in identifying the needs of the school and sharing their ideas for future action.”

Ian Humphreys, Chief Executive, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful added:

With support from the Department, Local Councils and many other partners, Eco-Schools is engaging our young people, who will be the next generation of business and political leaders, in developing eco-friendly behaviours that also help our economy. The programme is growing every year with more and more schools and young people making a real, tangible and positive impact on our environment through saving energy, reducing waste, picking up litter, travelling sustainably, providing biodiversity habitats and much more. Congratulations to Walker Memorial and all our schools who have achieved their Green Flag award; together we have reached this landmark 1000th Green Flag.’

This school year 149 schools achieved the prestigious, internationally recognised Green Flag award in recognition of the excellent progress they have been making in protecting the environment and moving towards a more sustainable future. The first Green Flag in the world was awarded to Downpatrick Nursery School in 1994. Since then the programme has consistently grown. There has been a year-on-year increase in the number of schools achieving the award for the 7th year in a row - increasing from 55 in 2010/11 to 97 in 2011/12; 103 in 2012/13; 114 in 2013/14; 128 in 2014/15; 136 in 2015/16 and now 149 in 2016/17.

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful have presented Beach and Marina Operators with 14 national and 10 internationally recognised awards for excellence in facilities, environmental management, education and water quality.

The international Blue Flag will be flown at 8 of Northern Ireland’s beaches and 2 marinas to signify world class facilities and destinations. The Blue Flag is an award programme certified by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). 47 countries participate in awarding Blue Flags to more than 4000 beaches and marinas worldwide making this award accessible to local beach goers and tourists alike. Beaches and marinas with a Blue Flag are demonstrating their commitment to protecting the coastal environment, excellent water quality, safety, and access for all. Blue Flag beaches and marinas also offer environmental education activities, as an important part of the award criteria. Beaches and Marinas may only fly the Blue Flag if all the criteria are successfully met throughout the summer season.

The Seaside Award is the national standard for beaches across the UK. The standards required by this programme ensure visitors are guaranteed to find a clean, safe, attractive and well-managed coastal environment with varied levels of facilities provided depending on the location of the beach. 12 beaches have been recognised by this award and can be identified by the Seaside Award Flag or Plaque.

2 of our more rural beaches have received the Green Coast Award, which recognises an agreement between the operator and the local community to protect and promote a natural beach environment rather than developing visitor infrastructure. Green Coast Award beaches can also be found in the Republic of Ireland and in Wales, but due to their more natural state, may not be flying a flag.

Northern Ireland’s coastline has some iconic sights, and many of our awarded beaches include or are next to Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty with specially protected habitats and species forming a large part of the experience visitors enjoy. The aim of these award programmes is to improve the connection between people and their surroundings by encouraging them to learn more about and spend time in their outdoor environment. Most award winning beaches and marinas provide information points to showcase the best of our wildlife and how visitors can enjoy these natural wonders without disturbing or damaging them.

Information on all the award winning beaches and marinas can be found at www.beachni.com or by picking up an Award Winning Beaches Leaflet from your nearest Tourist Information Centre.

The awards were presented on 24th May 2017, in time for the bathing season, which runs from 1st June until the 15th September each year.

Tony Wilcox, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, said “Having Northern Ireland’s world class beaches managed to such high standards is helping improve the quality of our lives as well as attracting visitors. Beach operators are inspirational people showing that all of us can play our part in loving where we live. And, in most council areas, the Live Here Love Here campaign is building on this to inspire everyone to get involved in creating cleaner, greener and healthier places to live, learn and work.”

With weeks of fine weather in early May prompting hopes of a fine summer, beaches around Northern Ireland are gearing up for an influx of visitors. To help everyone find their ideal award winning beach or marina Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful have created a visitor map highlighting the facilities offered at each beach and also including suggestions for activities or attractions to make for a memorable day out. The guide will be available online, via all Tourist Information Centres, at award beaches, in larger bus and rail stations and from local councils.

– ENDS –

Notes to editors

For reference:

Awards Presented

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council

Blue Flag

1. Cranfield West Beach

2. Murlough Beach

3. Tyrella Beach

Green Coast Award

4. Minerstown Beach

Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council

Blue Flag

5. Benone Beach

6. Downhill Beach

7. West Strand

8. Whiterocks Beach

9. Ballycastle Marina

Seaside Award

10. Ballycastle Beach

11. Castlerock Beach

12. Portrush East Strand

13. Waterfoot Beach

North Down and Ards Borough Council

Seaside Award

14. Ballywalter Beach

15. Groomsport Beach

16. Millisle Beach

Department of Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA)

Seaside Award

17. Crawfordsburn Beach

Green Coast Award

18. Helen’s Bay Beach

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council

Seaside Award

19. Ballygally Beach

20. Brown’s Bay

21. Carnlough Beach

Mid Ulster District Council

Blue Flag

22. Ballyronin Marina

National Trust

Blue Flag

23. Portstewart Strand

Seaside Award

24. Portstewart Strand

For Interview:

Contact the office on 028 9073 6920 or at chris.allen@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org.

More resources than ever are being devoted to maintaining a clean and welcoming environment in Northern Ireland, according to the Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful.

In a report published today, the environmental charity said that 2016-17 had seen a record £43Million spent on cleaning the streets. In response the year ahead will see nine of the eleven councils working together to tackle littering behaviour. Among other figures the charity highlighted was 233 groups ‘adopting a spot’ in order to keep it clean and inviting, and 24,500 children taking part in anti-litter education.

This intensification of efforts by Councils was welcomed by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful CEO, Dr Ian Humphreys, who said “The rising street cleaning bill, being met by ratepayers, is simply unsustainable. This is why many organisations are joining forces to change littering behaviour. Together we can begin to make a difference and this move is being supported by tens of thousands of volunteers who show they live here and love here through clean-ups. With over a third of the public admitting to littering we still have some way to go and so if we want a better place to live we all have to do our bit and get involved.”

While the year saw a slight rise in the percentage of places that were unacceptably littered, it also saw the biggest annual drop in the rates of dog fouling since their surveys began in 2008, and the highest percentage of spaces with no litter – not even a single cigarette butt – at 5%.

One of the surprising facts Dr Humphreys pointed out was that the availability of a bin appears to have little or no impact on the likelihood somewhere will suffer unacceptable littering: “Having a bin in sight in an area makes no statistical difference to how much litter ends up on the ground. This suggests that for many people bins are either deemed irrelevant or invisible. We need to change people’s mind-set so that they look for and use a bin, or take their rubbish home.”

The charity has made a number of recommendations that it believes would go a long way to achieving its vision of a cleaner country.

The charity says that fiscal measures should be explored further as part of a wider system of measures.

The development of programmes that reward desirable behaviour such picking up after your dog have been put forward as ways of preventing littering – like giving a vaccine rather than treating an illness.

Perhaps more controversially, the charity is suggesting that the government and Councils consider introducing American-style parking restrictions, where on-street parking is banned in a particular area for a few hours once a week to allow thorough cleaning; their surveys suggest that mechanical sweepers are regularly prevented from doing their job because of parked cars.

Dr Humphreys concluded “As the evenings lengthen and we look to spend more time outdoors we all want to enjoy spaces free of litter and dog fouling. To achieve this requires us all to do our bit and show we live here and really do love here.”

Councils, community groups and charities gathered in Belfast on Tuesday 7th to share the latest approaches to holding back the tide of litter sweeping the country. While the total cost of cleaning up after litterers in Northern Ireland topped £43 million in 2015-16, some of the projects discussed here which prevent littering in the first place were free or nearly so.

The Environmental Charity Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful organised the event, bringing in three of the UK’s most experienced practitioners in what is popularly known as “nudging” alongside local speakers whose projects have been making a difference in their community.

One project described saw flowers bloom in a Belfast alleyway and was highlighted as a great example of people caring for the place they live, which has been shown to drive down anti-social behaviour. Another reduced littering in a park by making using a bin the objective in a game of hopscotch, so people used the bin without thinking.

Ian Humphreys, Chief Executive of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful said “A nudge is a way of encouraging a person to act in a particular manner – in this case not dropping litter – in a simple way that does not limit their choice to act differently if they really want. We’re not telling people what to do; we’re helping them make a decision to act in a way they know they should.”

“Thankfully, most people don’t litter. A small number litter and don’t listen when you say stop; for those people we have fines and enforcement teams, who should be supported every step of the way. Everybody else that litters does it without really thinking about it and they are the people the nudge approach works for. We’re trying to make it easier for them to decide to act in the way they would if they stopped and thought about it, without actually having to stop.”

Alongside what might be described as traditional TV and radio advertising were strange ideas like glow in the dark posters to deter littering after dark, spraying dog fouling with vivid dyes so people start to notice it as a problem, and even the straightforward such as incentivising dog owners to carry an extra bag in case they meet someone who has forgotten. All simple ideas, but with a potential to make a big hole in a £43million problem.

Ian continued “it’s great to see ten of the eleven councils represented here, as well as community groups, charities and environmental groups. When you factor in the support the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs gave to facilitate the event you get a feel for the commitment that’s being made to tackle litterer’s expensive and damaging habit.”

Around one in seven of Northern Ireland’s streets and parks failed to meet the accepted standard for litter during 2016, Environmental charity Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful has said. This is despite Councils spending a total of £43,285,212 on cleansing during 2015-16; a rise of over 8% on efforts during the previous year.

Based on a survey of 1,100 sites across all of Northern Ireland, the survey shows that 15% of sites were described as having a “widespread distribution of litter with minor accumulations” or worse. The worst affected places were industrial estates, where more than one in three sample sites failed to meet the standard. By contrast, 99% of low density housing areas were rated clean or very clean, with 14% of those completely free of any litter.

Chris Allen, who manages the survey for Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, said “It’s clear from the data that councils are struggling to keep pace with people’s irresponsible habits. They’re being forced to spend a totally unsustainable amount of ratepayers’ money – our money – on treating an entirely preventable problem. The average annual charge to every ratepayer in the country is around £58.”

One positive note within the survey was dog fouling, a perennial issue across Northern Ireland, but one which showed signs of improvement – sites with dog fouling dropped from an average of 11% over the previous 4 years to 6% during 2016. However, one in five sites in public parks still had dog fouling, and even 3% of children’s play areas. Amazingly, this is a significant improvement over the 2015 survey, when 10% of children’s play areas were observed to have dog fouling in them.

The survey also throws out some interesting specifics: Although a lack of a handy bin is often cited as a reason to drop litter, more than two out of three sample sites in city and town centres and other retails areas had at least one bin. Of all the retail sites that were considered unacceptably littered, 63% had at least one bin, with one site having four bins available – one approximately every 12 metres. In parks and play areas 85% of sites had a bin, including 81% of the sites that were unacceptably littered.

Councils are also investing in anti-litter education initiatives such as Live Here Love Here, a campaign supported by seven of the eleven councils, the Housing Executive and the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, as well as businesses like Coca-Cola and Choice Housing. Many Councils also run local initiatives directly in schools and communities.

There is an average of 528 items of litter for every 100m of coast around Northern Ireland, a new report has found – that’s about five bits of litter for every step you take on some beaches. Perhaps more shockingly, this figure compares favourably against the rest of the coast of the UK and Ireland.

The report, by environmental charity Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, is an analysis of surveys on ten reference beaches from Runkerry Strand in the North West to Rostrevor in the South East. Staff and volunteers have covered a total of 56 kilometres over fourteen survey rounds since September 2012 to collect the data and remove the litter.

Chris Allen, who manages the survey for Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, said “This new analysis looks at all the data we have collected since 2012. We’ve found tremendous variation between the surveys, so taking them all together allows us to get the best picture of the amount and composition of litter washing up on our beaches.”

Over the four years of the study, there was no significant change in the overall litter count, although the number of plastic bags and sanitary waste items have both reduced, which has been attributed to the carrier bag levy and improvements to treatment works by NI Water respectively.

Chris went on “When you compare our reference beaches against the reference beaches in the UK, Ireland and the countries around the North Atlantic, we actually come out with less litter per 100m. That we can have over 500 bits of litter per 100m and still be cleaner than other places is pretty worrying. This stuff damages boats; kills marine life, and could cause contamination of fish and shellfish that end up on our plates. Not to mention it looks pretty disgusting when it washes up on our beaches.”

As well as highlighting the amount of litter, the report praises the work of volunteers in cleaning beaches around the country. 4,187 bags of rubbish have been lifted by volunteers taking part in just this project – once the litter is counted, it is removed to ensure it isn’t counted in the next survey.

One group of people working hard to control litter are the residents of the Fishing Village of Ardglass in County Down. Kevin Quigley of the NI Fishery Harbour Authority said “We know litter is a problem – the tides wash it up here from all over the place – but our staff have pride in this beautiful harbour village and so can be seen regularly with local and other volunteers undertaking beach cleans.

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful revealed recently that Councils in Northern Ireland spent £43 million cleaning up litter in 2015-16, and it’s clear that some of what’s left is making its way into the sea. However, there are a number of initiatives taking place around the country to tackle the problem, including Council-led strategies specifically to remove and reduce beach litter, and education programmes run by NI Water and Eco-Schools to teach responsible disposal of litter. Fishing vessels have even begun to bring litter caught in their nets back to shore for responsible disposal.

You can read the full 2016 Marine Litter Report at http://www.keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org/cgi-bin/generic?instanceID=50

Northern Ireland’s eleven Councils spent a total of £43,285,212 on cleaning our roads, streets and open spaces in 2015-16; a rise of over 8% on spending during the previous year. This expression of serious intent to clean up our streets and parks has however been somewhat blunted by a fall of almost 20% in the number of people actually caught and fined for littering.

The figures, which were gathered by environmental charity Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful from Council financial statements and records of enforcement, show how hard councils have to work to hold back a tide of unsightly and harmful litter. To put the figure in context that £43 Million would pay the annual salary of 1,995 newly qualified nurses. The total expected cost of the new build Royal Victoria Hospital Maternity Unit is £46.2 Million.

Dr Ian Humphreys, Chief Executive of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, said of the figures “Council staff work day and night to keep our streets clean but we spend more and more each year just to stand still. And research shows litter costs society the same again with losses to business and tourism and our health. That’s why most councils have now come together, with others, to deliver Live Here Love Here. This is building community pride and starting work on the real solution, which is to prevent litter being dropped in the first place.”

Many people will wonder where the money for street cleansing comes from, and the answer is that councils pay it from their rates, with the average annual charge to every rate payer in the country around £58.

At the other end of the bargain, the number of people actually caught littering has dropped by almost a fifth, from 4,443 to just 3,724. In addition, just 310 people were penalised for not clearing up after their dog last year. As Dr Humphreys points out “In a fair society the polluter would pay for the clean-up, but at this rate that would mean that the penalty for dropping a crisp packet would need to be over £10,000. Most people don’t drop litter. So we need to give the people who do litter a clear signal that their dirty, selfish behaviour is not acceptable. We all have a part to play in encouraging litterers to stop.”

The total raised by fixed penalties to be set against the cost of cleansing was just £191,530, less than half of one percent of the total cost.

The difference between Councils was stark, with over half of all fixed penalties issued in Belfast, but just 1% issued in Lisburn and Castlereagh. Dr Humphreys Welcomed Belfast’s approach, saying they had “grasped the nettle of penalising litterers for the good of everybody living and working within the Council area.”

Councils are also investing in anti-litter education initiatives such as Live Here Love Here, a media campaign supported by seven of the eleven councils, the Housing Executive and the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, as well as businesses like Coca-Cola and Choice Housing. Many Councils also run local initiatives directly in schools and communities.

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful is currently collating results of 1,100 surveys across the country to see if the additional money spent is having the desired effect and reducing the amount of litter on streets and in parks.

ENDS

For more information please contact:

Chris Allen, Local Environmental Quality Co-Ordinator

Chris.allen@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org

028 9073 6921

Note to Editors

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful is an environmental charity working towards the vision of a beautiful Northern Ireland by inspiring people to take responsibility for creating cleaner, greener and more sustainable communities.

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful runs a number of awareness raising campaigns including the BIG Spring Clean volunteering and public engagement campaign, the Clean Coast programme which supports coastal volunteering groups. The charity also runs the Seaside and Green Coast Awards, the international Blue Flag (for beaches and marinas) and Eco-Schools programmes all of which set environmental quality standards.

Live Here Love Here is supported by The Department of the Environment; Tourism Northern Ireland; Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, Ards and North Down Borough Council, Belfast City Council; Derry City and Strabane District Council, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Mid and Est Antrim and Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, Choice Housing, the Housing Executive and Coca Cola.

Find out more about it at www.liveherelovehere.org/What-s-it-all-about.aspx

Figures used in this release

• Spending figures were collected from individual Council financial statements, which are available on Council websites

• FPN figures were provided by Councils in response to requests for the information

• A new nurse starting at band 5 on the pay scale will earn £21,692 pa. https://www.rcn.org.uk/employment-and-pay/nhs-pay-scales-2015-16

• The Royal Victoria Hospital estimated costs http://www.belfasttrust.hscni.net/pdf/1108__Annual_Report_14_to_15_final_copy_29_June2.pdf

• Cost to ratepayers based on projected figure of 744,800 households in Northern Ireland in 2015, source http://www.nisra.gov.uk/archive/demography/population/household/household_project.pdf

Record Number of Parks Achieve the Green Flag Award

Nicola Fitzsimons   Thu 22 Sep 2016

Environmental charity Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, in association with Heyn Environmental Solutions, revealed the parks and green spaces that have been awarded a prestigious Green Flag Award.

Armagh Palace Demesne provided the perfect backdrop as a record 51 parks and green spaces in Northern Ireland received their Green Flags, awarded for exceeding tough environmental standards for green space management and visitor facilities – the Green Flag Awards is the mark of a quality park or green space recognised throughout the world.

For the 2016/17 season, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful saw a continued increase in public parks, country parks, cemeteries and green spaces meeting the demanding standards.

First-time winners this year included Antrim/Belmont Cemetery (Antrim & Newtownabbey Borough Council); Castle Park (Ards and North Down Borough Council); Clare Glen and Palace Demesne (Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council); Carnfunnock Country Park, Ecos Nature Park and Eden Allotment Gardens (Mid and East Antrim Borough Council) and Maghera Walled Garden (Mid Ulster District Council).

In 2016 Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful have announced two new Green Flag Award categories: the Green Flag Community Award and the Green Heritage Award. Ballyeaston Church Ruin received a Green Flag Community Award for the site which is managed and maintained by Ballyeaston Village Committee. Antrim Castle Gardens and Clotworthy House and Sentry Hill Historic House & Visitor Centre received the Green Heritage Award, these sites conserve, enhance and help people enjoy the heritage value of the site. There are now more places than ever for the public to enjoy high quality outdoor spaces.

This year 22 sites in the Republic of Ireland have also received the Green Flag Awards, further highlighting the growth of this top quality award, in Ireland the scheme is managed locally by An Taisce.

The Green Flag Awards are judged every year by green space experts, who volunteer their time to visit applicant sites and assess them against eight strict criteria, including horticultural standards, cleanliness, sustainability and community involvement.

Minister for the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Michelle McIlveen said:

“Our parks and open spaces are frequently enjoyed by people of all ages, providing an opportunity to relax and unwind from everyday life.

“We recognise and reward the achievements of all those who work to improve the quality and environmental standards of our parks and open spaces.

“It is a credit to all those involved that the Green Flag Award scheme has continued to grow over the last four years. I am delighted that this year we have seen a record number of applicants to the scheme.

“I look forward to the continued success of the Green Flag Awards in the coming years in helping more and more of our public parks and green spaces achieve higher environmental standards.”

Dr. Ian Humphreys, Chief Executive Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful said:

“We are delighted to be celebrating another record-breaking year for the Green Flag Award scheme. All the flags flying this year are a testament to the efforts of the hundreds of men and women, both staff and volunteers, who work tirelessly to maintain the high standards demanded by the Green Flag Award.”

If you are interested in finding out further information about the Green Flag Award or other programmes run by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful please e-mail us on enquiries@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org call us on 028 9073 6920 or check out our website www.keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org.

Heading towards the General Assembly 2016

David McCann   Tue 13 Sep 2016

Copenhagen 8 September 2016 – The Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) is holding its biennial General Assembly on 15-16 September in Ahmedabad, India. At the assembly sessions, member organisations from 75 countries will be discussing the most recent developments in FEE and elect their new President and Board of Directors.

The General Assembly is arranged and hosted by the Centre for Environment Education (CEE) India, FEE’s Associate Member in India. The first two assembly sessions will be addressing the latest developments and strategic planning for FEE and its five programmes, whilst at the Members’ Forum sessions, members will have the opportunity to join workshops on the implementation of programmes, projects and campaigns. 15 new organisations are to be confirmed as members of FEE.

The FEE President is elected every four years and the Board of Directors every two. Following the nomination procedure, a new President and Board of Directors will be elected for the period 2016-2020 and 2016-2018 respectively. The coming General Assembly will herald the end of an era with the retirement of Jan Eriksen. Current president and a member of FEE for over 26 years, Jan has steered the organisation through some its most demanding periods of transition and growth and is leaving it as the globally recognised and respected organisation that you know today: a fitting testament to his diligence and commitment to FEE over the years.

The assembly will be followed by the CEE Conference on ‘Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) for Transforming Education for Children and Youth’, to take place on 16–18 September 2016. The Conference aims at bringing together global experience and expertise to highlight and strengthen the role of ESD.

About the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) www.fee.global

With members in 75 countries around the world, FEE’s programmes represent the cutting edge in Education for Sustainable Development and Environmental Education. It is the vision of the Foundation for Environmental Education that its programmes empower people everywhere to live sustainably and in an environmentally conscious manner.

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Live Here Love Here Small Grants Scheme Is Now OPEN!

Nicola Fitzsimons   Fri 01 Jul 2016

The third year of the Live Here Love Here Small Grants Scheme will help communities, schools and groups to take practical action to improve their local environment and support the growth of civic pride throughout Northern Ireland.

The environmental charity, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful will be working with the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Tourism Northern Ireland, local Councils, Choice Housing and Coca-Cola to launch the Live Here Love Here Small Grants Scheme.

The Small Grants Scheme is designed to help groups improve the quality of their local environment by reducing littering and dog fouling; enhancing the environmental management of a local area; contributing to the development of civic pride within a community with a focus on environmental improvements or to enhance or attract tourism to their community through environmental improvements. Interested groups can visit www.liveherelovehere.org for more information and an application pack.

The scheme forms part of the wider Live Here Love Here programme, which includes an innovative media campaign and exciting volunteering opportunities to encourage participation all year round. To learn more please visit www.liveherelovehere.org.

The Small Grants Scheme is open to volunteer groups operating in participating Council areas:

• Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council

• Ards and North Down Borough Council

• Belfast City Council

• Choice Housing (NI wide)

• Coca-Cola (NI wide)

• Derry City and Strabane District Council

• Fermanagh and Omagh District Council

• Mid and East Antrim Borough Council

• Newry, Mourne and Down District Council

This year we are pleased to announce that the Live Here Love Here partnership has grown to include Choice Housing Association and Coca-Cola. They will be providing additional funding to groups who are active either within housing association areas or coastal areas and inland waterways respectively.

Groups will need to complete a simple application form detailing how their project will improve their local environment or community through practical action. The deadline for applications is noon on Monday 1st August 2016.

Ian Humphreys, Chief Executive at Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, says: “These small grants support voluntary practical action where people want to grow a strong ‘can-do’ community spirit. It is exciting to see the grant scheme growing with the seven councils, DAERA and Tourism NI now joined by Choice Housing and Coca Cola. This simply means more money reaching the places and people whose ambition is to bring about positive change where they live.”

Environment, Agriculture and Rural Affairs Minister, Michelle McIlveen, said: “I very much welcome community groups and local organisations getting involved in protecting and promoting their local environment. The more they participate, the more clean and green their neighbourhoods will be. It is fitting, therefore, that my department is supporting the highly successful “Live Here Love Here” campaign, now in its third year. By supporting the campaign my department is helping Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and local councils deliver clear tangible benefits for the local community through this excellent grant scheme.”

Michael McDonnell, Chief Executive of Choice Housing said: “Since launching in 2014, Live Here Love Here has supported groups to take small but important actions that have made a big difference in our communities. We all want cleaner streets, with less mess and graffiti, and more green spaces in our neighbourhoods. These grants give everyone a chance to improve their environment and the sense of pride in the places they live.

“Our partnership with the campaign is one of a series of investments that Choice is committing to this year and that enable people to secure tangible benefits and build stronger community spirit. We hope that our support will help amplify the campaign’s efforts to revitalise and reenergise neighbourhoods across Northern Ireland.”

Gillian Shields, Community Affairs Manager with Coca-Cola HBC NI said: “Having supported the Clean Coast Programme for over 9 years we are delighted to be merging the already existing Coca-Cola Coast Care Grant Scheme with the Live Here Love Here Small Grants Scheme. It is my hope that with this funding a wealth of new projects will come into existence that will have a very real impact on the local community, and that’s something Coca-Cola are very happy to support.”

Andy Patterson at Tourism Northern Ireland, says: “A beautiful environment is part of the tourism fabric of Northern Ireland which our visitors greatly value. Last year’s small grants scheme enabled communities to take the lead in making positive changes in their neighbourhoods and deliver improvements around our coastline. We are delighted to support the Small Grants Scheme once again and we are confident that the projects which are enabled by this fund will add to the positive perceptions and profile of our destination by presenting a cleaner, greener Northern Ireland"

For more information on the live Here Love Here Small Grants Scheme please visit www.liveherelovehere.org or contact Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful on 028 9073 6920.

The International Blue Flag Awards have recognised ten of Northern Ireland’s beaches as “world class” for their facilities and water quality.

The Blue Flag Award recognises beaches with the highest standards of facilities and water quality. This year Northern Ireland can boast of ten beaches and two marinas that have reached this benchmark.

The international Blue Flag award, which is administered locally by environmental charity Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, is a mark of excellence in 49 countries.

The awards are being presented to each beach on 1st June, the first day of the 2016 bathing season, by the International Director of the Blue Flag programme, Sophie Bachet Granados, the new Minister for Agriculture, the Environment and Rural Affairs, Michelle McIlveen, and Andrew Patterson from Tourism NI, which supports the awards in Northern Ireland at an event in the iconic Arcadia building in Portrush.

Blue Flag beaches offer the highest standard of visitor facilities including toilets, lifeguards if necessary, first aid during peak hours and disabled access onto the beach. In order to promote an inclusive atmosphere for families with small children, activities such as windsurfing are zoned while dogs are not permitted within the Award area.

Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Minister Michelle McIlveen said: “I am delighted that once again so many of Northern Ireland’s beaches have received the coveted Blue Flag and Seaside Awards and that our first-class Marinas have also been recognised. These awards are testament to the hard work and dedication of those who manage our beaches. These hard-won awards let people around the world know that Northern Ireland is open for business and that our beaches are first class destinations: clean, healthy and safe to enjoy.”

Mrs Bachet Granados said “I’ve had the chance to see some of the beautiful beaches here and speak to the Operators, and I’m very impressed by the standards. As a mark of excellence recognised across Europe; Africa; North and South America and as of this year Asia, Blue Flag beaches represent the best in coastal recreation management.”

A further eleven beaches have received the Seaside Award, which recognises beaches with safe and clean bathing water as well as appropriate facilities for the number of visitors they receive in both resort and rural settings.

Both awards are predicated upon the bathing water quality at each beach over the past four years, with the requirements laid down by the revised EU Bathing Water Directive. This is the first year since the new stricter classifications were introduced and all 23 identified bathing waters in Northern Ireland have met the minimum standards, something still not achieved in England or Scotland.

Ian Humphreys, Chief Executive of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, said “Having Northern Ireland’s world class beaches managed to such high standards is helping improve the quality of our lives as well as attracting visitors. Beach operators are inspirational people showing that all of us can play our part in loving where we live. . And, in most council areas, the Live Here Love Here campaign is building on this to inspire everyone to get involved in creating cleaner, greener and healthier places to live, learn and work.”

With weeks of fine weather in May prompting hopes of a fine summer, beaches around Northern Ireland are gearing up for an influx of visitors. To help everyone find their ideal award winning beach or marina Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and Tourism NI have launched a visitor map highlighting the facilities offered at each beach and also includes suggestions for activities or attractions to make for a memorable day out. The guide will be available online, via all Tourist Information Centres, at Award beaches and from local councils.

Join the 4,600 volunteers Keeping Northern Ireland Beautiful

Coca-Cola Clean Coast Week 2016 calls for new recruits to join in the Island of Ireland’s Largest Coastal Clean Up!

6th-15th May 2016

The Clean Coast programme saw more than 4,600 volunteers, in 210 community groups, collect a staggering 28 tonnes of litter from the marine environment in Northern Ireland throughout 2015.

Coca-Cola Clean Coast Week 2016, which runs from 6th – 15th May, is now calling for new recruits across Northern Ireland to get involved in the numerous events and clean-ups taking place along coasts, beaches, rivers and loughs around the province throughout the week.

A joint initiative between Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and Coca-Cola, the theme of the 2016 awareness week is ‘Enjoy Your Beach, Enjoy Your Beach Clean’. This year’s campaign will run in partnership with An Taisce in the Republic of Ireland and there are a range of cross boarder activities planned including clean up events along Lough Foyle and Carlingford Lough and the opportunity for volunteers to travel to Wexford to carry out a special beach clean ahead of a seal release!

The United Nation Environmental Programme (UNEP) estimates that 8 million individual litter items enter the marine environment every day. Marine litter includes a range of materials which have been deliberately discarded, or accidentally lost on shore or at sea. It includes materials that are carried out to sea from land, rivers, drainage, sewerage systems and even by the wind.

The Clean Coast programme supports communities who are passionate about caring for Northern Ireland’s coastline and inland waterways, and Coca-Cola Clean Coast Week 2016 will see a range of fun and informative events with the aim of raising awareness of the importance of keeping these important natural resources free from litter. Volunteers across Northern Ireland will demonstrate the ethos of “Live Here Love Here” by organising practical clean-ups to reduce the impact of litter on the marine environment.

Coastal celebrations through the week will range from beach fitness activities in Portballintrae incorporating clean-ups, to a ‘balsam bashing’ event at Lagan Valley Regional Park, to halt the spread of the invasive plant. The Coca-Cola Coast Care Awards and annual photography competition will also launch as part of the celebrations.

Dr Ian Humphreys, Chief Executive of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful said, “The Coca Cola Coast Care programme is making waves with clean-ups removing tonnes of litter from our beautiful coastline. Litter in the sea is a floating time bomb, just waiting to choke marine mammals, turtles and birds. So every piece removed helps save a life. Of course Coast Care volunteers would rather be doing something more constructive than picking up other people’s litter but the mad people are those who don’t put their litter in the bin in the first place.”

2016 sees the 9th year of Coca-Cola’s support of the initiative and Gillian Shields, Community Investment Manager for Coca-Cola HBC Northern Ireland said, “We are delighted to once again partner with Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, encouraging local communities to come together in celebration of the wonderful natural resource that is our extensive coastline.

“As a global company, Coca-Cola has proud sustainability credentials and it is a source of great pride for us that Coca-Cola HBC recently topped the Dow Jones World and Europe Sustainability Indices in the beverage category for a 2nd consecutive year. Our local business makes an important contribution to these results, with ambitious 2020 targets to reduce our impact on the environment, focussing on water, waste and energy usage. We are pleased that we are on track to deliver against our commitments, with some already achieved ahead of schedule.

“Our partnership with Clean Coast is a further demonstration of our commitment to sustainability, and I would like to take the opportunity to encourage all community groups across the country to get involved in their local events and clean-ups, supporting the important goal of keeping our marine environment litter-free.”

For a full schedule of events please visit www.liveherelovehere.org. All Clean Coast Week activities added to the Live Here Love Here website will also contribute to Clean Europe Week as part of this annual Europe-wide clean-up event.

If you would like to make a difference in your area whether it be coastal or an inland waterway then you can get involved by getting in touch with Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful by or emailing nicola.murray@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org . Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful will be able to support your clean ups with equipment and other means of assistance and you may even be nominated for a prestigious award when the summer is over!

(ENDS)

Further information:

For further information on the Clean Coast Programme in association with Coca-Cola and on Coca Cola Coast Care please contact Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful’s Community Development Officer, Nicola Murray, on 028 9073 6920 or email Nicola.murray@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org Or the Chief Executive, Dr Ian Humphreys, on 028 9073 6920 or email ian.humphreys@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org

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Manifesto 2016

David McCann   Wed 30 Mar 2016

We are proud to launch the Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful manifesto for the 2016 Assembly election.

We would encourage you to have a read of some of our proposals to make Northern Ireland a cleaner, greener place for all of us to live in.

Please click the link below to find out more.

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KNIB Manifesto

More resources than ever are being devoted to maintaining a clean and welcoming environment in Northern Ireland, according to the Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful.

In a report published today, the environmental charity said that the last year had seen major milestones in the campaign against litter, with record numbers of school children receiving anti-litter education; record numbers of fixed penalties being issued for littering, and a record spend on street cleansing.

Environment Minister, Mark H Durkan MLA said, “I welcome the findings of this report and commend Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful for the valuable work they undertake to raise awareness of local environmental quality issues, whether that is by educating our children through the Eco-Schools programme, promoting a cleaner environment through the Live Here, Love Here campaign, or the other initiatives in which they are involved. The improvements highlighted in the report are encouraging and show the value of a multi-faceted approach. We do though have some way to go to eradicate the blight of litter and dog fouling in our towns and countryside and on our beaches. However, this report does show that central and local government, working in partnership with organisations such as KNIB, can make an impact. I am proud to have supported KNIB’s activities over a number of years and look forward to government continuing that partnership.”

This intensification of efforts by Councils was welcomed by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful CEO, Dr Ian Humphreys, who said “£40 million a year on street cleansing is an enormous cost but actually many hidden costs make the final bill far greater. For example, studies have shown that high levels of litter correlate with increased rates of depression and other mental health problems. The result is an estimated £15 million drained from already stretched NHS finances.”

During the academic year ending in June 2015 Northern Ireland became the first country in the world to have every school in the country registered with the Eco-schools programme, which has anti-littering and respect for the environment at its core.

A record number of Fixed Penalties Notices were issued for littering and dog fouling during 2014-15, the most recent period for which figures are available. However, the official figures highlight the postcode lottery for fixed penalties, with 49% being issued in Belfast, and a further 18% in Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon District.

Dr Humphreys continued “This shows how councils are prepared to take action against the minority of people who continue to go against what is normal and acceptable. These figures show people who litter that they are ever more likely to be caught and fined.

The charity also calls on other Statutory Undertakers such as the DRD Roads Service and Rivers Agency to match the efforts made by Councils, with litter on roadside verges and in streams frequently putting off tourists and businesses and hurting our economy. Dr Humphreys said “Councils are not the only organisations with litter cleansing responsibilities, but they are the only ones working hard to fulfil them. In April every year we hold a Big Spring Clean, with around 90,000 volunteers taking part in 2015. A large number of those people are cleaning up roadside verges, open spaces and the banks of streams because it isn’t being done by the organisations responsible for them.”

All of this effort taken together has led to an improvement in the litter levels around the country. The headline figure – the percentage of places surveyed which are deemed ‘unacceptable’ – fell from 17% in 2014 to 12% in 2015, following three years of worsening results.

Dr Humphreys concluded “Coming as it does when people are beginning to think about spending more time outdoors on warmer days and brighter evenings, this report is positive news, but it’s also a call to action for everybody to play their part and show they live here and love here.”

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful are calling for community groups, schools, businesses and individuals across Northern Ireland to show that they Live Here and they Love Here by getting involved in the Big Spring Clean.

Litter can blight our towns, villages, beaches, roadsides and countryside and make us feel a little less than proud of our beautiful surrounds. In April Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful will call for everybody to say, ‘Live Here Love Here’ and will be working in partnership with local councils, Department for the Environment and Tourism Northern Ireland to support clean ups throughout Northern Ireland.

Big Spring Clean now forms part of the wider Live Here Love Here campaign which educates and empowers communities to take action and do the right thing to tackle litter and create a sense of community pride throughout the province.

People power is an amazing thing – during last year’s Big Spring Clean over 89,506 people participated in cleaning up their local area and removing over 107 tonnes of litter ensuring that we Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful.

Environment Minister Mark H Durkan said “Litter is a blot on our landscape that threatens the clean, green credentials for which the Emerald Isle is known. This is our home and we should take pride in it. I am calling for as many volunteers as possible to join the Big Spring Clean – let’s work together to make it a clean sweep and Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful.”

Ian Humphreys, CEO of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful added, “Last year one in every 20 people in Northern Ireland took part in a clean-up during The BIG Spring Clean. That’s up from just 2,500 individuals back in 2010. Why? Because we all want a better place to live, and this is a great opportunity to do something positive about it. Join us and help reduce the £40,000,000 a year street cleaning bill for ratepayers.”

Throughout April we are calling for your support once again, to find out more information and to register your Big Spring Clean online please visit www.liveherelovehere.org and we will send you a FREE clean up kit to help with your event.

ENDS

For further information please contact:

Nicola Murray, Community Development Officer on 028 9073 6920

Ian Humphreys, Chief Executive on 028 9073 6925

Carmel Fyfe, Operations Manager on 02890736920

Note to Editors

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful is an environmental charity working towards the vision of a beautiful Northern Ireland by inspiring people to take responsibility for creating cleaner, greener and more sustainable communities.

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful runs a number of awareness raising campaigns including Live Here Love Here, BIG Spring Clean, Clean Coast and Adopt A Spot. The charity also runs the Green Flag Award for parks and open spaces, Seaside and Green Coast Awards, the international Blue Flag (for beaches and marinas) and Eco-Schools all of which set environmental quality standards.

Live Here Love Here is a national campaign aimed at promoting civic pride and a community can-do attitude by improving environmental quality in Northern Ireland. By tackling issues such as poor environmental quality, littering and dilapidation, by encouraging volunteers to take practical action in their local communities. By working together, we can start to tackle the negative impact of littering, dog fouling and other environmental behaviours to bring about positive change to our communities. Live Here Love Here is an inspiring partnership between the Department of the Environment, Tourism Northern Ireland and a number of local authorities, working alongside Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful.

Street cleansing costs ratepayers close to £40 million every year and of the minority of people who admit to littering fewer still receive fines.

To learn more please visit; www.liveherelovehere.org .

Live Here Love Here is a partnership between Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, the Department of the Environment, Tourism Northern Ireland and participating local Councils:

o Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council

o Ards and North Down Borough Council

o Belfast City Council

o Derry City and Strabane District Council

o Fermanagh and Omagh District Council

o Mid and East Antrim Borough Council

o Newry, Mourne and Down District Council

All on board for launch of Marine Conservation Zone consultation

Christine Cahoon   Mon 14 Dec 2015   updated: Wed 20 Jan 2016

The Northern Ireland Marine Task Force (NIMTF), a coalition of ten environmental organisations including Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, today launched a campaign to support the designation of areas of marine conservation importance in Northern Ireland.

The campaign is focused on urging the public to respond to the Department of the Environment’s public consultation, launched today, on four proposed Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) located at Carlingford Lough, Waterfoot, Rathlin Island and Outer Belfast Lough. The Task Force says these new MCZ’s will play a vital role in protecting the natural resources of our local seas, from strengthening the network of Marine Protected Areas to promoting more sustainable fishing, for a better future for all.

Environment Minister, Mark H Durkan was given a marine tour of Belfast Lough on board ‘The Mona’. Speaking afterwards he commented:

“Marine Conservation Zones conserve the diversity of rare, and threatened habitats and species in our waters.

“Designating Marine Conservation Zones will be an important step towards protecting and enhancing the biodiversity of our seas, helping protect important marine habitats and species. As well as protecting nationally important marine wildlife, the Zones will also protect geological features in these waters.

“I would like to thank the Northern Ireland Marine Taskforce for supporting the proposals. This is an excellent opportunity to raise awareness and appreciation for our important marine environment.”

NIMTF believe the establishment of new MCZs is vital to strengthen and protect vulnerable wildlife and marine communities such as the black guillemot, seagrass meadows and the ocean quahog, a large clam that lives buried in the sediment of Belfast Lough. The ocean quahog is a fascinating, long-lived species which can reach more than 500 years of age. The oldest recorded living ocean quahogs in Belfast Lough will have been present for the departure of the Titanic and both World Wars.

In the New Year environmental experts from NIMTF will embark on a campaign roadshow to meet and engage with politicians, community groups and individuals located close to each of the proposed MCZ’s.

Speaking following the campaign launch, Rebecca Hunter Northern Ireland Marine Task Force Officer said:

“Northern Ireland is home to some of Europe’s most unique and important marine wildlife and we believe that Marine Conservation Zones provide a real opportunity to help the recovery of our valuable seas.

“In January and February we will be visiting local communities across Northern Ireland to engage with schools, community groups, businesses and political audiences on the proposed MCZs and how we believe they will help protect the natural resources of our seas for a richer future for everyone. We hope MCZs will have the support not just of nature and wildlife lovers from across Northern Ireland but from every citizen who values all that our seas provide.

“We support the designation of the new MCZs for Northern Ireland however we believe that more needs to be done to ensure an effective network of Marine Protected Areas is created. We are looking forward to hearing proposals for further MCZs which are vital for ensuring a future for our local seas. We would encourage all interested parties to support our campaign and respond to the Department’s consultation.”

For more information on NIMTF’s campaign visit www.nimtf.org or join the conversation @NIMTF and use hashtag #seachangeni. The Department’s consultation documents can be found at www.doeni.gov.uk/consultations.

Commission puts litter prevention on the map at EU level

Christine Cahoon   Fri 04 Dec 2015   updated: Wed 20 Jan 2016

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful welcomes the pioneering measures put forward by the European Commission to tackle litter prevention. These were put forward recently as part of the new legislative proposals on waste released as part of the EU Circular Economy package. The waste proposals specifically recognise that: “Littering has direct detrimental impacts on the environment and the wellbeing of citizens, and high clean-up costs are an unnecessary economic burden for society. The introduction of specific measures in waste management plans and proper enforcement by competent authorities should help eradicate this problem.”

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful has calculated the average cost to ratepayers of cleaning our streets at £38m a year and the Clean Europe Network, of which the charity is a founding member, estimates that litter clean-up costs the taxpayer €11 to €13 billion annually in the EU, public money which could, in part at least, be better spent on other priorities.

The wind and waterways carry litter all across the continent to the seas and the ocean. As 80% of marine litter comes from the land, the problem in our seas cannot be tackled realistically without stopping littering on the land. The Commission proposals presented on 2 December are thus a major step forward for litter prevention across the EU.

Ian Humphreys, CEO of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful said: “The Commission has started a process at EU level which we believe will lead to a better sharing of responsibility for litter prevention among all stakeholders. The Commission is giving impetus to work that will make a difference to all our lives. Given our unique engagement with citizens concerned with litter across Northern Ireland, we are eager to assist central and local government, public agencies and industry bodies to develop meaningful action plans and long term strategies that will engage the public and deliver positive change to the littering behaviour of people who live here.”

If adopted, the legislation will require governments to develop a litter prevention strategy in their national waste management plans. The latter must be prepared periodically and shared with Brussels. From now on, these national plans will need to combat all forms of littering and clean-up all types of litter (that could include, for example, tobacco waste, chewing gum, packaging, newspapers and magazines, tissue paper, and others). The legislation will also require EU member states to implement proper enforcement and penalties.

The proposals require producers to take on the communication of litter prevention information to citizens. This obligation would be implemented in practice via the so-called “producer responsibility organisations” (set up at national level) to manage collectively the individual responsibility of companies to guarantee appropriate collection and waste management of end-of-life products.

Awards and Rewards for Volunteers at Prestigious Coast Care Awards

---   Wed 28 Oct 2015   updated: Wed 20 Jan 2016

Photo

Volunteers who have gone the extra mile to clean up and look after our coastline, loughs and inland waterways have been recognised by environmental charity Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful as part of the prestigious Coca-Cola Coast Care Awards and Seminar event held at Parliament Buildings, Stormont.

Anna Lo, Chair of the Northern Ireland Assembly Committee for the Environment, presented the dedicated volunteers with their awards along with Northern Ireland’s very own mentalist David Meade who hosted the event.

The Coca-Cola Coast Care programme supports the work of volunteers who clean up beaches, rivers and loughs throughout Northern Ireland. With the continued support of Coca-Cola and Tourism Northern Ireland, Coast Care Awards recognise and celebrate the outstanding work of local people who are passionate about caring for Northern Ireland’s coastline, loughs and inland waterways and who carry out practical work in a bid to reduce the impact of litter and other environmental damage to preserve the natural beauty of these areas.

To celebrate the continued success of these awards, two worthy groups were awarded funding through the Live Here Love Here Coca-Cola Community Grant Scheme for coastal and inland waterway projects that demonstrate a benefit to their local environment or wider community.

The Live Here Love Here Coca-Cola Community Grants Scheme forms part of the wider Live Here Love Here programme, aimed at promoting civic pride within communities and improving environmental quality.

The day awards and rewards even celebrated the beauty of Northern Ireland’s Coastline and Inland waterways through the Picture Perfect Award supported by Tourism Northern Ireland, this award captures our beautiful scenery through one single stunning photograph.

Speaking about the event, Environment Minister Mark H Durkan said, “I thoroughly commend the dedication and commitment of those individuals of all ages and across the North who selflessly give up their spare time to ensure that our stunningly beautiful coastline and waterways are kept in pristine condition. I want to take this opportunity to thank each and every one for the vitally important contribution they make.

“This year we saw the introduction of new, tighter EU standards for bathing water quality. In spite of this, our bathing waters still performed extremely well and are in fact among the best in Europe. And it is in no small measure that our army of volunteers help to build upon and improve our coastal areas as fantastic places to spend time.

“I would encourage others to follow their shining example and get involved, whether in one of the many existing projects or to get inspired and start one in your own area. Perhaps you know of a stretch of overgrown waterway or corner of our coastline which would really benefit from some TLC. We want to hear from you.”

Chair of the Committee for the Environment, Anna Lo said: “It is only right that we take the time to recognise and appreciate the enthusiasm and hard work of our volunteers. Each volunteer devotes so much of their spare time to improve, protect and enhance our natural environment; so that we can all enjoy the benefits that that brings. Their commitment and work should not be underestimated.”

Dr Ian Humphreys, Chief Executive of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, said: “Our long-standing relationship with Coca-Cola to reward the hard work, community spirit and sheer persistence of volunteers who regularly clean up our coast and inland waterways is simply inspiring. At this event we take a little time to celebrate the achievements of passionate ‘can-do’ people to keep Northern Ireland’s shores, loughs, canals and rivers beautiful. Through their freely given time it is obvious they really do live here and love here. To everyone involved, well done and thank you.”

Gillian Shields, Community Engagement Manager, Coca-Cola HBC Northern Ireland said: “We are delighted to partner with Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and support the Clean Coast and Coast Care programmes. These awards recognise and reward the tremendous contribution and practical action being taken by individual and groups across Northern Ireland in looking after our much treasured beaches and waterways. Congratulations to all the beach managers and local communities from around Northern Ireland on achieving these prestigious awards."

John McGrillen, Chief Executive, Tourism NI, said; “Northern Ireland boasts some of the most spectacular coastline in Europe and this is one of our greatest tourism assets. Volunteers and community groups make a huge contribution to taking care of our coast and we are delighted that that these efforts are being recognised through the Coast Care Awards. Tourism NI is again proud to sponsor the Community Contribution to Tourism Award and the Picture Perfect Award.”

List of Coca-Cola Coast Care Award Winners 2015 Award Winners:

• Coca-Cola Coast Care Group

Love Your Lough (Newry, Mourne and Down District Council)

• Coca-Cola Inland Waterway Group

TRAAD Wildlife & Conservation Club (Mid Ulster District Council)

• Brighter Futures

Mill Strand Integrated Primary School (Causeway Coast and Glens District Council)

• Better Business Partnership

Translink Downpatrick (Newry, Mourne and Down District Council)

• Community Contribution to Tourism Award (Tourism Northern Ireland)

Grey Point Fort Amateur Radio Society (Ards and North Down District Council)

• Youth in Action

James Burke, IWAI Newry and Portadown Branch (Newry, Mourne and Down District Council)

• Local Hero

Dan Lavery, Longline Surf School (Causeway Coast and Glens District Council)

• Picture Perfect (Tourism Northern Ireland)

David McKechnie

Recipients of Live Here Love Here Coca-Cola Community Grant Scheme

1. Environment Support Team (Causeway Coast and Glens/Mid and East Antrim)

2. Newry & Portadown branch Inland Waterway Association Ireland

Litter Groups And Businesses Unite To Call On Government To Take A Lead On Litter

Christine Cahoon   Thu 03 Sep 2015   updated: Tue 20 Oct 2015

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful is one of 23 major national litter groups and business organisations to have made a joint plea to Government to take a firm lead on litter.

In a letter to the Secretaries of State and Ministers at Defra and the Department for Communities and Local Government, the 23 signatories ask the Westminster Government to form an Advisory Committee on Litter in order to deliver a National Litter Action Plan to eliminate all litter. The signatories already have a draft paper that could inform the development of the National Litter Action Plan.

The Advisory Committee will create a single channel to focus resources and will provide advice and expertise to Government Departments and Local Authorities. It will enable all parties to work together, encourage a more consistent message on littering and will also demonstrate Government commitment to reducing all litter. As stated in the letter, “The formation of an Advisory Committee is an unparalleled opportunity to take a major step to reduce the societal impact of all litter. Without such Government leadership, efforts to deal with littering will continue to be fragmented and so less effective in delivering significant reductions in littering and in the costs of dealing with it”.

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Advisory Committee on Litter

3,000 Hours Volunteered to Clean Northern Ireland’s Beaches

Christine Cahoon   Fri 21 Aug 2015   updated: Tue 20 Oct 2015

The average kilometre of beach in Northern Ireland has over 5,000 pieces of litter on it.

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful has been counting the litter on beaches from Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough for the past three years, and the 2015 results are the worst yet. On the fourteen reference beaches, an average of 1,500 bits of plastic, 425 plastic drinks bottles and 180 cotton buds per kilometre were observed.

At least 80% of the litter was made of plastic and likely to be recyclable.

Chris Allen, who managed the survey for Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, said “These are pretty stark figures. This report suggests that more litter is being dumped on our beaches, not less. Setting aside the dangers to wildlife, much of our country’s economic prosperity is based on our natural heritage, and we are just trashing it. We have world-class beaches in this country. They fly Blue Flags for excellent facilities; they set the scene for enormously successful TV shows; tens of thousands of visitors come to enjoy them, but they are frequently covered in a load of plastic bottles, crisp packets and bits of string. Would you come back? Would you bring your friends?”

Rubbish along shore

The figures were collected as part of a European requirement to monitor the amount and impact of litter in the sea, where it kills wildlife and damages boats.

Chris went on “Winter storms dumped tonnes of litter onto some beaches overnight, suggesting there is a huge reservoir of litter already in the sea, and we are just adding to it. We must come to terms with the damage we are doing to our own health and prosperity by dropping litter.”

It’s not all bad news though. The charity reports that they had well over 3,000 hours volunteered by people keen to improve their local beach and protect its wildlife, which resulted in almost 15.5 tonnes of litter being removed. The effect the carrier bag levy is also beginning to be seen, with no increase in the number of bags despite the growth in amount of litter overall.

Rubbish along shore

Chris continued “Through volunteering programmes such as Live Here Love Here and Coast Care the people of Northern Ireland have demonstrated their appetite to be involved in and making a positive change to the places they enjoy. We support that, and we as a society should encourage it at every opportunity.”

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NI marine litter report 2014 (filesize >13Mb)

Hedgehog decline - Durkan backs schools hedgehog campaign

Christine Cahoon   Mon 06 Jul 2015   updated: Thu 22 Oct 2015

Environment Minister, Mark H Durkan, today launched a rallying call for people to protect hedgehogs.

In the 1950's it was estimated there were 36.5million hedgehogs in Britain. It seems likely that there are now fewer than a million hedgehogs left.

Hedgehogs play a positive role in our gardens by feeding on slugs and snails and are one of our priority species.

The Minister has teamed up with Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful (KNIB) to back the Eco-Schools hedgehog campaign here.

Speaking at Ballycraigy Primary School, Antrim which has its own “Hedgehog House” Mark H Durkan said: “36.5million hedgehogs in the 1950s with fewer than one million now. The statistics speak for themselves. We need to wake up to this before they disappear. That is why I am very much backing this schools campaign for people to protect them. Hedgehogs are very much a gardener’s friend. Their diet includes many garden pests including slugs, snails and mice. Leaving food out for them at night may attract one into your garden.

“As well as supplementary feeding, you can literally give hedgehogs a home in your green space by providing suitable habitat. They like thick dense undergrowth and a variety of lengths of grass which is a great excuse for a ‘wild’ area in your garden. Alternatively you can easily build a ‘hedgehog hotel’. A simple wooden box design with entrance holes and a watertight lid makes the perfect home for them.”

Minister Durkan visited two schools, Ballycraigy Primary in Antrim and Elmgrove in East Belfast to see at first hand work being undertaken by pupils to help preserve the hedgehog.

The Minister continued: “Our young people care deeply about the environment, something that we can all learn from and encourage. I believe passionately that this work with schools is vital for the local environment and wider community.

“I commend both Ballycraigy Primary and Elmgrove Primary in their efforts to protect our hedgehog population. I’m always happy to tackle the prickly issues of the day and I believe it is important that we all make a contribution to protecting hedgehog numbers.

“Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful plays a key role in promoting simple measures that can make a big difference through our highly successful Eco-Schools programme, to protect the hedgehog.”

Belfast schools waste no time in recycling with a Wheelie Big Challenge

Christine Cahoon   Wed 01 Jul 2015   updated: Thu 22 Oct 2015

Schools from all across Belfast gathered at Belfast City Hall on 4th June to celebrate environmental success with Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, Eco-Schools and Belfast City Council’s Wheelie Big Challenge.

The event was held in the spectacular setting of the Great Hall in Belfast City Hall. Schools were invited to present their final findings and actions for this year’s Wheelie Big Challenge. The project asked pupils in 30 Belfast schools to investigate and engage in practical actions to reduce waste in school and at home by reducing, reusing and recycling.

Lisnasharragh Primary School took first place in the Primary category and taking second in the same category were St Teresa’s Primary School and joint third places Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School and Holy Family Primary School.

Victoria College took first place in the Post Primary category and taking second and third places in the same category were St Louise’s Comprehensive College and Methodist College respectively.

All schools attending set up brilliant displays highlighting the work they had done for the Wheelie Big Challenge which included everything from worms to Eco-robots and welly-boot planters. Some schools had moved from having no recycling in school to having as much as 80% of their rubbish recycled by the end of the Challenge.

Six schools were also officially presented with the prestigious and internationally recognised Eco-Schools Green Flag award for excellence in environmental work in their schools: Victoria College, Donegall Road Primary School, Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School, Botanic Primary School, Lisnasharragh Primary School and St Peter’s Nursery School.

George Lyttle, Waste Manager, Belfast City Council, said: “It’s fantastic to see the effort and team work that these children have put in, to bring the “reduce, reuse, recycle” message to life in such a creative way. Congratulations to all the schools who made it through to the finals. It was also great to be able to celebrate the achievement of the Belfast schools receiving Eco-Schools Green Flag accreditation”

Carmel Fyfe, Eco-Schools Manager, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, said: “Congratulations to all the Schools receiving awards today through the Wheelie Big Challenge and Eco-Schools programme. Today was a wonderful opportunity to reward the efforts being made by those in the local area doing their bit to make Belfast a cleaner, greener and more sustainable place in which to live and we are delighted to be supported by Belfast City Council in recognising these efforts.”

The Eco-Schools Programme is the world’s largest environmental education programme which aims to make environmental awareness and action an intrinsic part of school life. Eco-Schools, sponsored by SSE Airtricity, is a free to enter programme. Eco-Schools work through a simple seven step process to implement behavioural change and study a range of topics, such as waste. By participating in projects like the Wheelie Big Challenge schools are able to reduce their environmental impact and become more sustainable as they work through their Eco-Schools Programme.

Schools who would like to get involved in the Eco-Schools Programme, or who would like to find out more, are asked to visit www.eco-schoolsni.org.

Eco-Schools is a global, student-led phenomenon, the world's leading environmental education programme and one of the international Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) programmes. It makes environmental awareness and practical action an intrinsic part of school life.

Eco-Schools is operated here by environmental charity, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, which is dedicated to making Northern Ireland a cleaner and more pleasant place. The programme has gone from strength-to-strength over the last few years with support from the Department of the Environment and sponsorship from SSE Airtricity.

Environment Minister, Mark H. Durkan, whose department supports the Programme said:

“This is a tremendous achievement for schools. Our young people have a proud history spanning over twenty years with a local school being the first in the world to be awarded an Eco-Schools Green Flag Award. The fact that every school is actively working towards getting the international Green Flag Award is testament to how important the environment is to young people.

“Getting young people involved is critical if we are to sustain our environment. During my many visits to schools I have seen at first-hand how young people of all ages are making a real difference, altering attitudes, behaviours, making real savings and contributing to a better environment.”

This year Northern Ireland became the first country out of the 59 countries in the international programme to reach 100% participation with all schools here registering to take part. This landmark achievement is testimony to the enthusiasm and determination of Northern Ireland’s pupils to make a difference and change their environment for the better.

This 20th anniversary year of the programme has also seen a record breaking number of schools in Northern Ireland achieving the pinnacle of the programme, the prestigious and internationally recognised Eco-Schools Green Flag Award. 128 schools received the award in recognition of the excellent progress they have been making in protecting the environment and moving towards a more sustainable future.

Carmel Fyfe, Eco-Schools Manager, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful said: “It is hugely encouraging to see the many benefits of the Eco-Schools programme, such as better pupil engagement, cost savings and environmental improvement, being shared by every school in Northern Ireland. Congratulations to all our Eco-Schools on their fantastic achievements this year and we look forward to seeing more and more of our schools achieving the prestigious Green Flag award.”

Paul Cooley, Head of SSE Airtricity's Renewables Business, the Principal Sponsors of the Eco-Schools Programme added: “We’re extremely proud to be associated with Eco-Schools and I’d personally like to congratulate all 1178 schools involved in the programme and in particular the 128 schools who have achieved Green Flag status this year.”

List of schools achieving the Green Flag Award in 2014-15.

County Down beaches go green - in a good way!

Christine Cahoon   Thu 25 Jun 2015   updated: Tue 20 Oct 2015

Five beaches along the East coast of Northern Ireland have received awards for their environmental management.

Newcastle, Murlough, Tyrella Beach, Cranfield West and Helen’s Bay and received their awards at Helen’s Bay in Crawfordsburn Country Park on 25th June, joining 30 beaches in Wales and 58 in the Republic of Ireland who have also received the award.

Rubbish along shore

Cloughey beach on the Ards Peninsula received a pilot Award while Ards and North Down Borough Council completes the adoption of the beach and Warren.

The Green Coast Awards are supported by Coca-Cola and are part of a wider eco-management and volunteering programme run by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful. The aim of the Award is to recognise beaches for their high environmental quality.

To achieve the award, beaches must have excellent water quality and have effective and appropriate management which ensures the protection of the natural environment.

Chris Allen, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful’s Local Environmental Quality Manager said, “These beaches are exceptional places to visit for their unspoilt natural beauty. They may not all have the infrastructure or facilities available on our Blue Flag beaches, but that is no criticism: These beaches are all clean, safe and environmentally friendly, and we should be proud that we have these natural gems on our doorstep.”

Gillian Shields, Community Investment Manager with Coca-Cola, said, “We are proud to support the Green Coast Awards and Clean Coasts Programme.

As a local company we have been investing in community projects for some 75 years and are proud to partner with Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, an organisation that is committed to protecting our local environment and championing environmental change for coastlines throughout Northern Ireland.”

Green Coast Award beaches generally have strong community involvement, with local people given the opportunity to take part in the management process; everything from helping to keep it free of litter through to having a say in development decisions.

If you would like to help make a difference in your area whether it be a coastal or an inland waterway then you can get involved by getting in touch with Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful by ringing 02890 736 920 or emailing Nicola.Murray@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org. Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful may be able to support your events such as local clean-ups with equipment and other means of assistance and you may even be nominated for a Coast Care Award at the end of the summer!

1 comment

Christine Cahoon   Thu 30 Jul 2015   updated: Tue 20 Oct 2015

Correction on 30 July 2015:

The original posting of this story stated that Minerstown beach had received a Green Coast award. We incorrectly recorded that an award had been made when in fact the beach operator, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, did not make an application for this beach for 2015.

Pupils make smart moves to travel challenge victory!

Christine Cahoon   Mon 15 Jun 2015   updated: Thu 22 Oct 2015

Translink & Eco Schools celebrate rise in school sustainable journeys

Translink and Eco Schools have joined forces to reward local schools who have made smart moves to tackle car dependency in Northern Ireland by choosing to use more sustainable transport.

Over a two week period, pupils in 31 local schools participated in the ‘Translink Eco Schools Travel Challenge’ with 1176 pupils monitoring their travel patterns and making an effort to walk, cycle, use the bus or train for the school run.

During the Challenge, there was a massive shift away from car use to sustainable travel meaning over half of all journeys made were sustainable, totalling a distance of 37,027km. If all 1,178 schools (320,000 pupils) in Northern Ireland took part in the challenge adopting a similar percentage of sustainable journeys, an estimated 453,108 litres of fuel could be saved annually and 1,365,712 car journeys per year could be removed from local roads, significantly reducing congestion at school gates.

Ulidia Integrated College – Carrickfergus, St Ciaran’s Primary School, Cushendun, St Colmcille’s PS – Downpatrick and Holy Cross PS – Atticall were the top performers in the initiative that aimed to encourage school pupils and parents to choose more environmentally-friendly transport modes.

The Eco Schools Green Flag Award also went to Barbour Nursery School, Dundonald PS, Ulidia Integrated College, St Malachy’s PS – Camlough, St Joseph’s Nursery School, Antrim and St Bride’s Primary School in Belfast following successful completion of the travel challenge.

Termoncanice Primary School – Limavady also won an Ulsterbus Tours educational class coach trip and day out in Dublin.

Speaking at a Prize Giving Ceremony in Belfast Central Station, Gordon Milligan, Translink Chief HR & Corporate Services Officer, said:

“Congratulations to all 31 schools who have successfully completed the travel challenge. You’re all ‘smart movers’ embracing the lifestyle benefits of sustainable transport.

“Leaving the car at home, offers parents and pupils many advantages: more free time on board bus or rail services to relax and de-stress; save money with good value tickets; use free WiFi;, reduce journey times; avoid parking issues; produce less pollution and improve health by introducing regular exercise into daily routines.

“Last year, over 80 million bus and rail passenger journeys were made in Northern Ireland – an increase of 2.8 million fare-paying passengers in the past three years – as more and more people make the smart move to a more sustainable and attractive lifestyle.

“We were pleased to work in partnership with Eco Schools to deliver the travel challenge and look forward to educating more pupils about the benefits of sustainable travel,” said Gordon.

Carmel Fyfe, Eco-Schools Manager, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, said:

"The Translink Eco-Schools Travel Challenge is a fun way to educate our young people on the positive reasons for using sustainable transport and it is wonderful to see so many pupils getting involved.

"Encouraging sustainable transport use is a key topic in the Eco-Schools programme and we are delighted to once again be supported by Translink with the Travel Challenge which is a great way for schools to work towards achieving the prestigious Eco-Schools Green Flag. Congratulations to all those schools which participated in the challenge."

Schools interested in participating in the next Translink Eco-Schools Travel Challenge as part of the Eco-Schools Awards Scheme can call 028 9073 6920 or click www.translink.co.uk/ecoschools/. For details on Ulsterbus Tours Educational Trips click www.ulsterbustours.com or call 028 9033 7004.

Schools across Northern Ireland take top awards at the SSE Airtricity and Eco-Schools Global Wind Awards

Christine Cahoon   Tue 09 Jun 2015   updated: Thu 22 Oct 2015

Schools from all across Northern Ireland celebrated their achievements in environmental and energy saving projects at the 2015 SSE Airtricity and Eco-Schools Global Wind Awards, held in Derry~Londonderry’s Everglades Hotel. The Eco-Schools programme is run by environmental charity Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, sponsored by SSE Airtricity and supported by the Department of the Environment.

Pupils from Fairview Primary School, Ballyclare and Holy Trinity College, Cookstown have been awarded the title of Northern Ireland’s leading primary and post-primary Eco-Committees of the year at the annual awards.

The Eco-Committee of the Year award recognised the special role of both Fairview’s and Holy Trinity’s Eco-Committees in helping drive the Eco-Schools programme within their school. This year saw Fairview awarded their 3rd Green Flag and Holy Trinity their first. Both schools were noted to be outstanding in the amount of environmental projects they are involved in and the strength of their actions both in school and their communities.

Fairview Primary School has also been awarded the title of Northern Ireland’s leading primary school in Operation Energy Project of the Year, along with St Colm’s High School in Draperstown who took the award in the post-primary category.

The Operation Energy Project of the Year award recognised the special efforts made by both Fairview and St Colm’s, in studying the Eco-Schools Energy topic. St Colm’s held a school-wide Power Down Day in November which saw them save a potential £40.00 a day on their energy bill. Pupils are keen to continue the energy and money saving drive at school.

Also honoured at the 2015 SSE Airtricity and Eco-Schools Global Wind Awards was the Guiney Family and their daughter, Ava, who attends Cairnshill Primary School, Belfast who won the Family Energy Champions Poster Competition with their creative poster which highlighted their top energy saving tips at home.

Pupils received their awards from Mark H Durkan, Minister for the Environment, who said: “These awards are an important and fitting recognition of the efforts of our young people, teachers and also their wider families in looking after our environment and saving energy.

“Whenever I visit Eco-Schools I see the passion, pride and potential of the people who will be the next generation of leaders and workers in all walks of life. I take great pride in being here today to recognise these achievements. All entrants should be very proud of your work. Seeing the energy and enthusiasm displayed by all of you, and the other Eco-Schools, gives me tremendous hope for the future of our environment.”

The day itself saw 100 pupils and guests take a specially guided tour of SSE Airtricity’s 76MW Slieve Kirk Wind Park, and experience the power of wind up close, even going inside the turbines.

Josh Bradley, Communications Manager, SSE Airtricity said: “This year’s awards, as in the past two years, have been a great indication as to just how enthusiastic and dedicated Northern Ireland’s Eco-Schools are when it comes to studying energy and the environment. It is great to be able to recognise their achievements here at the Global Wind Awards.”

Carmel Fyfe, Eco-Schools Manager, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, commented: “Congratulations to the winning schools and indeed to all the finalists. Our young people care deeply about the environment and through their Eco-Schools work are making a positive change to their wider communities. It is wonderful to see the schools excelling in such a prestigious international programme and we are delighted to be supported by SSE Airtricity in rewarding them through these very special Global Wind Awards.”

Operation Energy is a free teaching resource developed by SSE Airtricity and Eco-Schools and is available at www.operation-energy.com.

Ten Blue Flags and a 25th anniversary celebration for Northern Irish beaches

Christine Cahoon   Thu 21 May 2015   updated: Tue 20 Oct 2015

Northern Ireland’s stunning coastline has long been hailed as a match of anything in the world, but now Benone beach on the north coast is celebrating an achievement very few places in the world can match, having just claimed its 25th consecutive Blue Flag. The international award, which recognises first class facilities and the highest standards of water quality, was presented to Benone and nine other beaches as well as two marinas at a ceremony on Portstewart Strand.

A further ten beaches have received the UK-wide Seaside Award, which recognises resort and rural beaches with good water quality. After a difficult summer season last year, with heavy rainfall affecting water quality on a number of occasions, this is an excellent result.

Ian Humphreys, Chief Executive of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, the environmental charity which administers the awards locally, said:

“A Blue Flag means excellence; that we can proudly say nearly half of the designated bathing waters in Northern Ireland are world class is quite an achievement. With a further ten receiving Seaside Awards, including for those beaches in more secluded beauty spots, we once again have a fantastic coastal offering for everyone who lives here and loves here as well as our growing numbers of visitors.”

25th anniversary celebration

Minister for the Environment, Mark H Durkan, said:

“These Blue Flag and Seaside Awards show the dedication that coastal councils and the National Trust contribute to providing first class, safe and enjoyable beaches. The coast of Northern Ireland is an amazing place to visit, and these Awards demonstrate how much work has gone into promoting our excellent beaches. The Good Beach Summits, which we initiated in DOE, have helped to improve standards at beaches around our coast. Fantastic progress has been made and I trust that next year even more beaches and marinas will apply for these awards.”

25th anniversary celebration

Blue Flag beaches offer the highest standard of visitor facilities including toilets, lifeguards and first aid during peak hours, and disabled access. In order to promote an inclusive atmosphere for families with small children, activities such as windsurfing are zoned and access for dogs is restricted on most Blue Flag beaches. Seaside Awards Resort beaches often have many of the same facilities as Blue Flag beaches, while Rural beaches have fewer facilities and are more unspoilt in their character. Dogs are allowed on most Seaside Award beaches as long as they are kept on leads.

25th anniversary celebration

Colin Neill, Tourism NI Board member said,

“Northern Ireland’s stunning beaches are amongst our greatest tourism assets, and keeping them clean and safe is of the utmost importance to us. By driving standards and safeguarding our environment, these awards play a vital role in helping to showcase the natural beauty of our coastline, and in improving the overall visitor experience of incoming tourists. I am delighted that this year Northern Ireland boasts an impressive number of award winning beaches, offering an excellent choice of clean and safe places for our visitors to enjoy this summer.”

25th anniversary celebration

With weeks of fine weather in April and May sparking thoughts of a ‘barbeque summer’, beaches around Northern Ireland are gearing up for an influx of visitors. To help everyone find their ideal award winning beach or marina Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and Tourism NI have launched a visitor map which lists the facilities offered at each beach and also includes suggestions for activities or attractions to make for a memorable day out. The guide will be available online, via all Tourist Information Centres, at Award beaches and from local councils.

David Meade adds a Little Magic to Clean Coast Week

Christine Cahoon   Thu 07 May 2015   updated: Thu 22 Oct 2015

Northern Ireland’s very own mentalist David Meade has once again shown that he Lives Here and Loves Here by launching ‘Coca-Cola Coast Care’. This joint initiative between Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and Coca-Cola HBC Northern Ireland supports volunteers who clean up beaches, rivers and loughs around the province.

The Programme supports local people who are passionate about caring for Northern Ireland’s coastline and inland waterways. They show they Live Here and Love Here by carrying out practical work in a bid to reduce the impact of litter and tackling wider environmental issues.

With the onset of summer more people are hitting the coast. Thankfully, most people take their rubbish home but a thoughtless few are leaving their litter lying.This spoils the visitor experience for others. In 2014 we worked with over 4,000 individuals who joined in Coast Care activities including cleaning up other people’s rubbish.

This year the Coca-Cola Clean Coast Week will take place between 8th and 17th May with activities ranging from cross-border events along Lough Foyle and Carlingford Lough with An Taisce, Rock pool Rambles with Ulster Wildlife to a Golf Themed clean up with Tourism Northern Ireland. For a full schedule of events please visit www.liveherelovehere.org.

All Clean Coast Week activities added to the Live Here Love Here website will also contribute to Clean Europe Week as part of this annual Europe-wide clean-up event.

Dr Ian Humphreys, Chief Executive of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful said, “Coast Care volunteers really are setting the standard for how we want where we live to look. Of course most people don’t drop litter, but it takes a special person to care enough to clean up other people’s rubbish. This hugely important initiative with Coca Cola is ensuring these special individuals can play their part in helping us all, whether local or tourist, to enjoy our world class coast and waterways.”

2015 will be the eighth year in which Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and Coca-Cola have worked together in a bid to make our shores a cleaner and safer place.

Gillian Shields, Community Investment Manager for Coca-Cola HBC Northern Ireland said, “Coca-Cola is committed to investing in the local environment, protecting the natural beauty of our beaches and encouraging community participation in preserving our landscape. The Coca-Cola Clean Coasts Week emphasises the important role that we can all play, in conserving our marine environment. We are delighted to once again partner with Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful in support of this initiative, where all across the country, local communities will be coming together to celebrate the wonderful natural resource that is our extensive coastline.”

If you would like to make a difference in your area whether it be coastal or an inland waterway then you can get involved by getting in touch with Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful by ringing 02890 736 920 or emailing nicola.murray@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org.

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful will be able to support your clean ups with equipment and other means of assistance and you may even be nominated for a prestigious award when the summer is over!

Global Wind Awards energise Eco-Schools achievements

Christine Cahoon   Mon 20 Apr 2015   updated: Thu 22 Oct 2015

SSE Airtricity and Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, Eco-Schools are delighted to announce the third year of the Global Wind Awards. Schools from across Northern Ireland are invited to nominate their Eco-Committee and Operation Energy projects for the annual awards ceremony held at Slieve Kirk Wind Farm in June.

The Awards have been a great success in past years with pupils enjoying the opportunity to get up close to, and even inside, the wind turbines and learn all about wind power and renewable energy. New to the Awards this year is a Family Energy Champions category which invites pupils to investigate what they do at home to save energy and involve family members in making a creative poster highlighting their top energy saving tips.

Dundonald Primary School have taken part in SSE Airtricity’s Operation Energy, Power Down Day, for the past two years, saving over 20% of their energy usage on the day. They have just achieved their first Eco-Schools internationally recognised Green Flag Award and are excited by the prospect of having their energy saving efforts recognised in the Global Wind Awards.

Visiting the school Josh Bradley, Communications Manager, from SSE Airtricity said: “The pupils at Dundonald have an infectious enthusiasm for learning about energy, so it’s great that their efforts have now been recognised with an Eco-Schools Green Flag. At SSE Airtricity, we’re delighted to be powering the Global Wind Awards for a third year. The commitment shown by teachers and pupils across Northern Ireland to the Eco-Schools programme deserves to be celebrated and rewarded. The event itself has been a roaring success in the last two years, and I’m sure it will be even bigger and better this time around.”

Eco-Schools Northern Ireland have cause to celebrate this year as they mark their 20th anniversary and being the first country in the world to achieve 100% registration. SSE Airtricity have been principal sponsors of Eco-Schools in Northern Ireland for the past four years and actively support the energy topic with their free Operation Energy teaching resources.

Carmel Fyfe, Eco-Schools Manager, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful said:

“The Global Wind Awards are a special opportunity to recognise the dedication of Eco-Schools to looking after the environment. It is clear that Eco-Schools are extremely interested in learning more about energy efficiency and working with SSE Airtricity is a really great way to help schools with this.”

Full details of how to enter the SSE Airtricity and Eco-Schools Global Wind Awards can be found on the Eco-Schools website in the Competitions page or contact eco-schools@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org. The closing date for entries is Friday 8th May.

It’s Time for The BIG Spring Clean!

Christine Cahoon   Fri 03 Apr 2015   updated: Thu 22 Oct 2015

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful is asking community groups and individuals from all over Northern Ireland to register to take part in the BIG Spring Clean. Together we can all do one small thing, such as cleaning up, to show that we live here and we love here.

Big Spring Clean logo

The charity aims to build a national movement for change through the civic pride campaign, Live Here Love Here. Live Here Love Here draws together Government, local authorities, Tourism Northern Ireland, community groups and individual volunteers. Together, they are forming an unstoppable force for change on litter by cleaning grot spots, by sprucing up overgrown spaces and by changing attitudes to make littering unacceptable.

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful's BIG Spring Clean brings a focus on litter during the month of April, enabling businesses, schools, community groups and individuals to unite in common cause to clean up and to Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful.

In 2014 The BIG Spring Clean:

  • Saw a staggering 105,819 people lift litter – more than double the amount of volunteers from the previous year.
  • Over 127 tonnes of waste was removed from our neighbourhoods, beaches and countryside.

Ian Humphreys, Chief Executive of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful said: “We look forward to another exciting BIG Spring Clean, we can all get out and do our bit to show that we live here and we love here. We’re very proud of the hard work all of the volunteers put in and it is truly excellent to see that local environmental quality is being improved with the support of schools, volunteers, sports groups and local businesses within the community.”

Dr Humphreys added: “We live in a great country, with some fantastic communities and world class open spaces, but too often the carelessness of others means that litter plagues our environment. Our BIG Spring Clean is the opportunity for everyone in Northern Ireland to join the fightback against litter.

“We want to call on everyone who lives here and who loves here to join us. Let’s not pretend that we can ignore the scale of the litter problem we face. We can all play a part in cleaning up our treasured local spaces by taking part in a BIG Spring Clean.”

You can register your BIG Spring Clean online at www.liveherelovehere.org and when you register your event online we will send you out a FREE clean up kit to help with your clean up.

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful Appeal with BBC Northern Ireland

Christine Cahoon   Thu 02 Apr 2015   updated: Thu 22 Oct 2015

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful works to make Northern Ireland a cleaner and better place in which to live. We are involved in a range of environmental projects and activities. These include making people aware of the impact of litter on our countryside and beaches and tackling the problems associated with graffiti and dog fouling.

In support of our work, BBC Northern Ireland recently aired an appeal on our behalf. View clips available on the BBC website, where you can make a donation to support our important work.

If you would prefer to donate your time and experience, why not get involved with volunteering? Our new campaign Live Here Love Here seeks to help people make the place they live into a place that they love. We aim to do this by supporting volunteer efforts to clean up and improve shared spaces, and built pride within the community.

Visit the Live Here Love Here website for more details.

DOE Budget Cuts

Christine Cahoon   Wed 01 Apr 2015   updated: Thu 22 Oct 2015

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful’s statement on funding

The news that Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful’s funding from the Department of the Environment has been cut by 30% is disappointing for the organisation and for the sector in Northern Ireland.

We recognise that we are only one of a large number of environmental groups facing huge cuts to our budgets.

The cuts experienced by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful will certainly have an impact on our ability to deliver our vision of making Northern Ireland a cleaner and more pleasant place in which to live. Through the cuts, we have lost and will be losing a number of posts across the organisation. However, our commitment to delivering on our projects and programmes is unwavering and we will be continuing with the great work which underpins Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful.

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful is working with other NGOs, the Environment Committee, NIEA and others to ensure the Minister and his officials fully understand the impact these cuts will have on the ability of the NGO sector to deliver a multitude of government and international obligations, and ultimately on the state of the NI environment.

From Laptops to Shopping Trollies; Litter was the catch of the day on Enniskillen’s Lakes

Christine Cahoon   Wed 09 Jul 2014   updated: Thu 22 Oct 2015

A little sunshine was an added bonus for the team of litter picking volunteers who came together to spruce up Enniskillen’s Lakeside; as part of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful’s Clean Coast Week in association with Coca-Cola HBC NI.

On Wednesday the 2nd July local residents joined forces with volunteers from Coca-Cola HBC NI, Northern Ireland Tourist Board, Fermanagh District Council and McDonald’s to take part in a clean up of Enniskillen’s Lakelands. The group met at Stuarts Car Park cleaning the pathway, jetties and long grass area, before cleaning their way through the town to The Brook Play Area along the River Erne. During the clean up the land based team of volunteers found two wire clothes horses, plastic bottles, take away packaging, picnic debris, a dead mouse and a large piece of plastic sheeting. However, it was the water based team from Fermanagh District Council who hauled out 2 shopping trollies, a traffic cone and a waterlogged laptop!

The Clean Coast activities continued in the afternoon with the Chairman of Fermanagh District Council, Cllr Bert Johnston, joining young people from Devenish Partnership Forum to take part in a clean up of the Loughview Drive area.

Overall the volunteers removed 20 bags of litter from the lakeside areas leaving them looking great for locals and tourists to enjoy.

Nicola Murray, Community Development Officer from Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful said: “It is inspiring to see volunteers work together to spruce up their areas; thank you to all of the volunteers who got involved and collected over 20 bags of litter from Enniskillen’s beautiful lakesides. It truly shows the PRIDE that local people have in the areas that they love. We hope that through the positive action of the Coast Care Campaign we can continue to work together to rid our coast and inland waterway’s of litter!”

Councillor Bert Johnston, Chairman of Fermanagh District Council, said: “It is great to see local people taking pride in the lough that surrounds their community. Fermanagh District Council welcomes the Clean Coast initiative and we hope to keep our loughs and lakes clean for locals and tourists alike.”

If you would like to make a difference in your area whether it be a coastal or an inland waterway then you can get involved by getting in touch with Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful by ringing 02890 736 920 or emailing nicola.murray@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org. Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful will be able to support your clean ups with equipment and other means of assistance and you may even be nominated for a prestigious award when the summer is over!

March Eco-Home Bulletin

Christine Cahoon   Tue 01 Apr 2014   updated: Thu 22 Oct 2015

Find out the latest news from the Eco-Home Student and the Eco-Home Community projects in Belfast. Also in this Eco-Home March bulletin you'll find some super, saving ideas.