Bin bags are finally set to be banned from Dublin city’s streets, a decade after legislation was introduced to end their use.
Dublin City Council is eliminating the use of plastic waste sacks on a phased basis because they are frequently torn apart before collection by seagulls, vermin, and household pets.
In the coming weeks large scale on-street waste compactors, similar to the size of a small caravan, will come into operation at St Stephen’s Green and Temple Bar, businesses and residents on 90 streets in the south inner city will then be permanently banned from leaving rubbish bags at the kerbside for collection.
Later this year compactors will be installed in the north inner city after which a similar ban will apply.
RM Block
The council will then turn its attention to the inner suburbs, such as Stoneybatter and Drumcondra on the northside and Portobello and Ranelagh on the southside, some of the last remaining areas where bags are still used.
“We’re aiming for the end of 2026 to have them all gone,” Derek Kelly executive manager of the council’s environment division said. “Things can always get in the way, but that’s the hope. We don’t want this to continue any longer than is necessary.”
Legislation requiring the use of bins instead of refuse sacks came into force in 2016 but thousands of Dublin residents and businesses were given a derogation from the rules because their properties were unsuitable for wheelie bins.
Streets in the city centre, or inner suburbs with no gardens or no direct back access, were mostly affected.
Where the compactors are introduced, customers will be issued with fobs/ cards by their waste companies to allow them to use the compactors, the council said.
The containers are sealed, and can only be opened by those with access cards and codes, and will not be available to the general public. Staff from waste companies “will also be on site for a period of time once the system goes live to show customers how the compactor units operate” the council said.
The council has yet to determine if the large-scale compactors will be suitable for inner suburbs, Mr Kelly said.
“We’re talking to the collectors about what the best solution might be, compactors may be one of them if there are enough customers presenting bags in an area.”
However, he said smaller “big belly” bins, or bins which are similar in size to a euro bin, typically used in apartment complexes, may instead be used. “They will work in the same manner where the customer has a key fob,” to ensure customers are only paying for their own waste to be collected.
Mr Kelly was speaking at an event to publicise the council’s expanded 24-hour cleaning zone in the city centre and its recruitment of 100 new waste management staff.
