Monday January 21, 2013

Wrigley Fights Littering In Ireland

Chicago — The Wrigley Co. Foundation is sponsoring a new school program in Ireland that allows students to plan and implement anti-littering campaigns in their communities.

Neat Streets, an initiative of An Taisce, the Ireland National Trust, will reach 50 schools and potentially 35,000 students, within the next two years, Wrigley reports. An Taisce will provide training through an interactive website, school visits, and workshops to assist the students in measuring litter levels and driving an appropriate litter-management program.

Martin Radvan, president of the Wrigley Foundation and company, says: “We are fully supportive of all initiatives that educate and promote more responsible disposal of waste among all sections of society, particularly our young people.”

Neat Streets is being launched after an effective year-long pilot that reached 8,500 students.

St. Mac Dara’s Community College in Templeogue was one of the participating pilot schools. Principal Sean Ryan talks about the program's success: “Neat Streets has prompted a seismic change in attitude among our students. The young people developed valuable life-skills and achieved the Green Flag for the school and actually won a national Repak award for the excellence attained during the pilot.”

The mission of the Wrigley Foundation aligns with that of Neat Streets. It reads that the foundation works to “improve the health of people and our planet through sustainable initiatives focused in oral health and environmental stewardship as well as local needs that ensure a healthy community.”