The most wide-ranging survey on litter in Ireland has found that Navan in Co Meath is the untidiest town in the country and that Carlow town is the cleanest.
The survey for Irish Business Against Litter, which is supported by An Taisce and the Department of the Environment, suggests that industrial estates are three times more likely to be litter blackspots than towns.
Fifty-seven towns, with populations of more than 6,000, were monitored for the survey.
More than 25% of towns are named as litter blackspots. They are Youghal, Wicklow, Kilkenny, Cobh, Lucan, Ballinasloe, Athlone, Newbridge, Nenagh, Tullamore, Finglas, Gorey, Mayfield and Navan.
25% of all industrial estates were also found to be litter blackspots. Parts of IDA industrial estates in Enniscorthy and Gorey were described as 'riddled with litter' and 'treated with total disregard'.
Half of recycling centres were heavily littered, something being linked to the introduction of bin charges.
The survey found that Cork and Dublin cities have improved. Carlow achieved Ireland's cleanest town status by pitting local areas against each other on a weekly basis and the results being published in the local papers.
