If there was any debate over banning the use of plastic bags for domestic refuse collection in Dublin’s North Inner City, it has assuredly been put to bed by the latest survey for Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) which was carried out by An Taisce.
The north inner city was the only area to be branded “seriously littered” by the survey which also found that the situation there had deteriorated year-on-year despite the introduction of the deposit-based return system for plastic bottles and cans that came into effect last February.
The nationwide scheme reduced plastic bottles and can litter by almost 50 per cent in the 500 sites monitored by An Taisce although counter-intuitively it did little to reduce overall litter levels.
This would seem to be very much the case in the North Inner City. Any benefits accrued from the scheme would seem to have been cancelled out by other factors.
There is no denying that the continued use of plastic bags for waste collection is the primary culprit in this regard. The IBAL survey found several incidences of bags of domestic rubbish ripped open – often by seagulls– and their contents scattered on the streets.
A ban on the use of plastic bags for refuse collection in the south inner city came into effect last week. Businesses and residents who fail to comply face fines of €150 to €4,000.
Until now business and residents there have had a derogation from 2016 legislation mandating the use of bins because of difficulties around access and storage. Despite the low up take of bins – just 30 per cent– in the interim, Dublin City Council has chosen to proceed with the ban and the onus has been put on waste collection companies to find solutions. Several different options are being tested.
The ban is due to be extended to the north inner city this summer and the decision to proceed will be informed by the success or otherwise of these trails. That in turn will hinge on the ability and appetite of the council to ensure the waste collection companies meet their obligations.