Eco Rangers volunteers with Gary Murtagh, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council (MEABC) Waste Supervisor for Larne Area and Catherine Hunter, MEABC Education Officer.
Members of the now nationally known Eco Rangers and Mid and East Antrim Borough Council representatives, recently met at Broadway in Larne to showcase the continued importance of litter picking around the borough.
The group is dedicated to improving the local environment by removing polluting and unsightly litter.
Their work is already paying off, with the borough benefitting from the community effort to transform their local areas to green, litter-free places to live and visit.
Residents and visitors to the area have been able to follow the progress of the Eco Rangers through daily updates on social media, showing individual and group efforts.
The group also actively engage with people they meet to inform them of their activities, while awareness of their work has been further enhanced through press and media coverage, and engagement with businesses, schools, groups and societies.
From its inception in October 2020, the group has grown from a small nucleus of willing participants to over 400 active adult members and over 160 junior members.
Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Cllr William McCaughey, said:
“The work of the Eco Rangers is worth celebrating and Council is delighted to continue supporting the group through equipment, waste collection and disposal, funding guidance and communications.”
The Eco Rangers is the first-of-its-kind anti-litter movement of this size and commitment in Northern Ireland, challenging behaviours and dedicated to protecting and enhancing the environment.
Residents and visitors to Mid and East Antrim Borough are reminded that littering is an offence. A fixed penalty fine of up to £80 can be charged.