Over €1,000 up in smoke!
A woman was convicted and fined a total of €1,185 at Waterford District Court on Monday, September 9th.
The woman was initially issued a litter fine of €150 on foot of a cigarette butt discarded by the driver of her car. However, after failing to pay the fine or engage with Waterford City and County Council, a prosecution under the Litter Pollution Act was initiated.
Judge Staunton, on convicting the woman said it was a clear case of someone failing to engage with the local authority, resulting in the initial fine being increased. The woman, who did not attend the court, was fined €200, and legal fees and costs of €985 were awarded against her.
Niall Kane, Senior Executive Engineer in Waterford City and County Council, welcomed the ruling, saying, “Cigarette butts are the most common form of litter in both Waterford and indeed the world, with an estimated 4.5 trillion cigarette butts discarded every year.
“Over 50% of litter items identified in surveys carried out by Waterford City and County Council are cigarette related. Cigarette butts are made of plastic cellulose and can take up to 13 years to decompose in the environment. When they are not placed in a bin, they can wash down drains and end up in our rivers and seas, adding to the problems of microplastics and posing a real danger to people, wildlife, and marine life.”
