Members of the public are being urged to switch to reusable face masks to reduce litter.
The latest Irish Business Against Litter survey found disposable masks and gloves are prevalent on the streets around the country.
Masks were five times more common on the streets than the likes of gloves or other disposable PPE.
It found Kilkenny was the cleanest town in Ireland, while Dublin's North Inner City and the Galvone area of Limerick were the most littered.
The group is warning there has been a "dramatic fall" in the number of towns and cities deemed to be ‘clean’ - with the number now at its lowest level since 2007.
Conor Horgan from Irish Business Against Litter says that coronavirus restrictions have led to a 'perfect storm' and led to an increase in littering.
As well as PPE being discarded, there are more people gathering outside - leading to more cans and bottles being disposed of.
He said: "Local authorities' cleaning schedules are being curtailed... and critically we don't have volunteers like the Tidy Towns out in force like they normally are to help keep areas clean.
"If the litter isn't going to be picked up, then the message has to be don't litter in the first place.
"Let's start using reusable masks... if we're going to have this pandemic with us for years, we need to move to reusable masks en masse."
