Limerick city centre was listed with the worst rating in a new national litter survey, with Sligo rated best, and improvements noted in north inner city Dublin and the northside of Cork. “For the first time, only one of the 40 cities and towns surveyed – Limerick city centre – was branded as littered,” said campaign group Irish Business Against Litter, citing a survey by An Taisce, the environmental organisation.“An Taisce inspectors lamented the dearth of clean sites within the city centre and the number of sites that are heavily littered on a consistent basis,” the group said of Limerick, noting its rating had dropped from the previous year.In general, the group found “overall litter levels were on a par” with 2025, with no town or city occupying the “seriously littered” or “litter blackspot” categories. Despite the deposit return scheme for plastic bottles and drink cans, the number of bottles and cans left on the streets was at its highest since the system was introduced.“Fifteen cent or 25 cent does not appear enough to incentivise some people to return a bottle or can,” said Conor Horgan, spokesman for Irish Business Against Litter. “That said, by reducing this litter by 50 per cent-plus, the scheme’s impact on overall cleanliness levels is beyond dispute.”The group said 27 towns were deemed clean. “Sligo finished ahead of Monaghan and Leixlip, with Waterford – again Ireland’s cleanest city – in fourth spot. There were significant improvements in Navan, Carlow and Athlone.”An Taisce praised Sligo for its approach roads, saying the Retail Park was “exceptionally freshly presented” and noting a “complete absence of litter” in the Great War Memorial Garden.“Continuing a trend of recent years, the majority of socially disadvantaged urban areas improved year-on-year, with Dublin’s north inner city, Cork northside, Galway’s Ballybane and Ballymun all progressing from ‘littered’ to moderately littered’,” the group said. With peak tourist season approaching, Horgan noted “fewer littered areas than we’ve had at any time” for 25 years.“We’re hopeful that we’re on the cusp of a real breakthrough in disadvantaged areas of Dublin and Cork,” he added.“For 15 years we’ve been surveying these areas, and for the first time we’re seeing evidence of sustained improvement as a result of greater investment from Dublin and Cork city councils. If plans in Dublin for the elimination of domestic waste collection in bags across the inner city are realised, we will have a much cleaner capital city.”But coffee cup litter was at its highest level since 2023, behind sweet papers, fast food wrappers, plastic bags and cigarette butts. “Talk of a ‘latte levy’ has all but vanished, yet coffee cup litter clearly has not. The Government inaction on this persistent problem is baffling,” Horgan said.