Cheeky new bins in Galway encourage people to ‘cop on’ and keep Spanish Arch clean
As the sun begins to set earlier each day, those soaking up the last of summer around the Spanish Arch and the Claddagh are being encouraged, with redesigned, tongue-in-cheek messaging, to place their trash in the bins.
The colourful bins are part of a joint initiative between Galway City Council, An Garda Síochána, and local night-time businesses to keep Galway clean after sundown. The aim is to nudge sunbathers and walkers in these popular areas to use the bins instead of leaving their rubbish behind.
High praise for this new initiative has come from all three partners. Mayor of Galway City, Cllr Mike Cubbard said: “There’s nowhere better to kick back and relax whether you’re going to a festival or just in for an ice cream. Unfortunately, when the sun rises again, we’re seeing extraordinary levels of waste on the city streets, sometimes beside empty bins.”
The bins have messaging like: ‘Every Litter Bit Hurts’ and ‘I hate that empty feeling’.
A Litter Management Unit is deployed daily at 5 am to ensure the city looks fresh and welcoming for another day of tourists and locals, but the amount of litter seen “is very challenging to deal with.”
Vice Chairperson of Galway’s Westend traders Association, Lisa Regan emphasized that trash management is a “shared responsibility”.
“If you’re in the area, respect it. Have a bit of cop on, clean up after yourself, leave no trace, and mind your manners.”
Galway City Council has highlighted the initiative and the efforts of the litter unit on social media, reminding people to enjoy the last rays of sunshine, but not to get lazy when it comes to keeping the city clean.