Brandon, on the Dingle Peninsula, could become of the south's most eco-friendly tourist spots tanks to the efforts of a local group and Kerry County Council.
Comhlacht Bhreanainn Teo is one of several west coast groups involved in NASC, a partnership involving State agencies including Udaras na Gaeltachta, which is co-ordinating efforts to obtain EU eco-labels.
Micheal O Coileain, Comhlacht Bhreanainn Teo manager, says: "It's an EU-funded scheme somewhat similar to the blue flag idea for beaches. Basically areas with high environmental standards are given eco-label awards.
"The idea behind it is, firstly, that it will help encourage tourism into the area, and Brandon and Cloughane are both heavily dependent on tourism, but also that it will heighten environmental awareness among local people.
"There are 10 elements in the programme including air pollution, water pollution and land use. You have to compile an inventory of various elements in your area and then outline an improvement plan," he explains.
Waste management is a target area. "Kerry Council conducted two surveys here . . . and found that 48 per cent of everything that is discarded in rubbish from family homes is recyclable.
"We already have a glass recycling bin and a tin recycling bin while Kerry County Council have also distributed home composting sets which should ensure that most off-table waste is recycled," says Micheal.
Although the project has officially been in Brandon for 18 months, its origins go back a further two years when Udaras identified the area's potential for walking and sea sports.
It was through the development of one such walk that Micheal, an archaeologist from Dingle, first got involved in the project as he gave lectures to local farmers on an ancient farming system found in the area.
"What we discovered underneath a bog at Loch a' Duin was an ancient field system similar to the Ceide Fields in Mayo but dating from the later Bronze Age rather than the earlier Stone Age, and there was a lot of interest locally in it.
"I started giving lectures to local farmers, and the local community suggested clearing a walk around the site which they did. It's about three miles long and that was one of the first walks developed in the area," he said.
There are now 10 walks from Stradbally west to the Conor Pass and Mount Brandon. Comhlacht Bhreanain Teo also produced a bilingual guide to the walks, giving directions and information on the area's flora and fauna as well as its rich folklore.
"It's a first step towards helping nurture environmental friendly tourism. Hopefully, we can build on that, and obtaining an eco-label award will help us market the area."