Dublin City Council’s new waste regulation covers 90 city centre streets from September 16
For nearly a decade thousands of homes and businesses in the city have been exempt from using wheelie bins due to limited space for waste storage.
Dublin City Council (DCC) has tested alternatives to plastic bin bags to address the severe litter issue, often caused by vermin, seagulls, foxes, and pets tearing the bags apart.
According to the council, the situation has worsened since the introduction of the deposit return scheme, which has led to people deliberately ripping open bags to retrieve bottles and cans for cash refunds.
The new regulations come into force from September 16, covering 90 streets in the city centre and will apply to all “retail, commercial and residential buildings”.
However, a number of businesses have complained they don’t have the space required for wheelie bins and criticised the lack of consultation from DCC.
The council also confirmed it has been in “discussions with waste collectors” since July about these changes which they feel gives enough of a transition period for businesses to adjust to full compliance by January 2025.
“There will be a fine issued for €150 under the Litter Pollution Act for non-compliance, when the derogations are removed,” a Dublin City Council spokesperson said.
There is a full list of the 90 streets that will be impacted under the first phase of the new waste management strategy.
The initial streets being targeted are on the southside of the city and include Westmoreland Street, Dawson Street, Drury Street, Temple Bar, Grafton Street, and more.
A transitionary period of just over three months will be in place, but by January 1 all occupiers of buildings on these particular streets will not be permitted to present waste in plastic bags on city streets for collection.
The new rule come into force for 90 streets from September 16
Addressing the concerns of businesses who do not have the space for wheelie bins, the council responded by saying the waste collection options proposed are a matter for “the private waste collectors and their customers”.
“Dublin City Council has advised the waste collection companies that we will facilitate; removing traffic restriction for waste collection vehicles, where possible; on street waste storage containers, on street mobile compactors, and any other options that eliminate the need to present waste in plastic bags on the city’s streets for businesses in the Phase 1 area,” they added.
“The waste collectors have advised Dublin City Council they would consider all options for their customers, including facilitating customers who want to move to using reusable receptacles (wheelie bins, etc.) and offering customers a business-to-business collection service, for those customers who choose to continue to use plastic bags.
“It is the intention to move to a similar area in the commercial district of the north side of the city as Phase 2,” the council said.
A spokesperson said effectively the same system will be implemented on the northside shopping districts once they were satisfied that they had “full compliance” with the initial phase.
