Wexford Climbs to Top Ten in 2025 IBAL Litter Rankings

Wexford town has earned a spot in the top ten of the 2025 Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) rankings, improving from 17th place last year to 10th in the survey of 40 towns and cities. The improvement in cleanliness has resulted in Wexford now being classified as "cleaner than European norms," a positive recognition for the town’s efforts in maintaining a tidy environment. The report, conducted by An Taisce on behalf of IBAL, highlights the significant progress made at previously littered sites around Wexford. The Bring Centre at Tesco, once plagued by regular dumping, was notably much cleaner this year. Similarly, Rope Walk Car Park, a site that had often been littered, showed marked improvement, although it was not yet completely free of litter. One of the standout areas was Min Ryan Park, which has quickly become a popular and well-maintained space with a variety of facilities. Key streets like Selskar Street and South Main Street were also praised for their cleanliness, with both areas remaining spotless throughout the survey period. The only exception in the town was Clonard Retail Park, which still faced challenges with litter. Overall, the improvements were seen as a major win for the local community and an encouraging sign for further progress. This year, Sligo topped the IBAL rankings for the first time, with a notable rise in cleanliness across city areas. Wexford’s improvement is part of a broader trend, with 10 of the 13 surveyed areas showing an increase in cleanliness, demonstrating the success of ongoing efforts to tackle litter nationwide. Wexford’s achievement comes alongside similar improvements in other towns, such as Galway and Cork City Centre, further highlighting the country’s dedication to maintaining cleaner environments. Despite these gains, coffee cups remain one of the most common forms of litter, found in one fifth of all sites surveyed. IBAL officials have called for government intervention to support coffee cup schemes, stressing that without legislative backing, efforts to reduce single-use coffee cups may not succeed. While the Deposit Return Scheme has shown a positive impact, reducing the presence of cans and plastic bottles by 60% since its introduction, the ongoing issue with coffee cups serves as a reminder of the work still needed to combat litter across Ireland.