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 told Newstalk Breakfast that coronavirus restrictions have led to a 'perfect storm' and led to an increase in littering.
He said: "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.
"PPE is part of the problem, but more fundamental is the fact that we've seen more outdoor socialising - which has led to a big rise in alcohol-related litter.
"We've also seen households generate more waste, which has led to dumping."
Mr Horgan explained that a key factor is that litter in town and cities isn't being picked up as it normally would be.
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.
"It's a bit of a perfect storm, really."
He said his group 'wouldn't let local authorities off the hook' for their role in litter building up, but stressed that civic responsibility is the most important thing at the moment.
He noted: "If the litter isn't going to be picked up, then the message has to be don't litter in the first place."
