Businesses on the south side of the city now face €150 fines for non-compliance with the new rules
Businesses that fail to comply from 1 January could face fines of €150, as the transitionary period of just over three months has now ended.
From now on, all occupiers of buildings on the list of streets on the south side of the city will not be permitted to present waste in plastic bags on city streets for collection.
These new rules will see plastic refuse sacks banned from use in the area around Grafton Street, Temple Bar, and beyond.
Dublin City Council (DCC) has said that it 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, which came into force on 16 September, cover 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 had also confirmed it had been in “discussions with waste collectors” since July last year about these changes which they felt gave enough of a transition period for businesses to adjust to full compliance from this month onward.
“There will be a fine issued for €150 under the Litter Pollution Act for non-compliance from January 1, as the derogations are removed,” a Dublin City Council spokesperson said.
The initial streets targeted since September are located on the south side of the city, including Westmoreland Street, Dawson Street, Drury Street, Temple Bar, Grafton Street, and more.
From January 1, plastic waste sacks will be banned from use in the area around Grafton Street and Temple Bar and beyond
Addressing the concerns of businesses that lack space for wheelie bins, the council responded by stating that waste collection options are a matter for “private waste collectors and their customers”.
“Dublin City Council has advised the waste collection companies that we will facilitate removing traffic restrictions 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 that they would consider all options for their customers, including facilitating customers who want to move to reusable receptacles (wheelie bins, etc.) and offering a business-to-business collection service for customers who choose to continue using plastic bags.”
“It is the intention to move to a similar scheme in the commercial district on the north side of the city as Phase 2,” the council said.
While the uptake of bins has been limited, the council has confirmed it will extend the bag ban to the north inner city from the second quarter of 2025, concentrating on the areas around Henry Street and Abbey Street.
