Northside residents continue bin bag fight - 'Wheelie bins are not a solution'

The planned ban of plastic bin bags from Northside streets has been deferred by Dublin City Council, but that did not stop concerned residents protesting proposed changes outside City Hall yesterday evening

The bin bag backlash continues as a large crowd of Northside residents protested outside City Hall yesterday evening.

Led by Labour TD Marie Sherlock, communities from Stoneybatter, Broadstone, and Phibsborough have called on Dublin City Council to reconsider Phase 3 of their waste management strategy , which aims to eliminate plastic bin bags from city streets. Although the council has agreed to defer this plan until October to allow for further consultation, Ms Sherlock stressed the need for “meaningful engagement” with residents.

Ms Sherlock told Dublin Live people are “very frustrated about the changes effectively foisted upon them”. She claims Dublin communities have to deal with a "dysfunctional waste system” where the interests of private waste collection companies are prioritised over everyday people.

“The bin companies get to call the shots and Dublin City Council has to clean up the mess in terms of illegal dumping and littering on our streets,” she said. “We don’t have any joined up thinking between the two.”

Describing the deferral as a “breakthrough,” Ms Sherlock stressed this is simply “a pause, not a stop” and that their demonstration is necessary to address people who will face “a dramatic increase in costs” if the proposal proceeds as planned. She said the wheelie bin and stacked-caddy alternatives offered by DCC are "inappropriate for many people” who live in narrow terraced homes without back gardens or sufficient space.

View 2 Images Bin bag ban demonstrators outside Dublin's City Hall (Image: Stephen Holland)

“No other European cities do it the way we do and I believe we can do things differently. We can look at compactors, underground systems, we can look at other innovations.”

While Ms Sherlock welcomes the pause, she said that DCC can only do so much and that they must push beyond this issue to effect waste collection changes at a national level. That’s why Ms Sherlock aims to introduce a new bill that requires a single waste management provider for the city and places an onus on landlords to ensure they have bin collections set up for the properties they rent.

“This bill would enhance waste collection, provide a greater layer of accountability over a single provider, and ensure that landlords take responsibility for their tenants having a waste collection contract. We are all paying the price for a failed system of waste collection with illegal dumping, limited recycling facilities and far too little investment in waste management in our communities,” she stated.

Labour representative and Dublin Central by-election candidate Ruth O’Dea said wheelie bins and caddies are “not a solution” for people who live in houses that are “just too small” to accommodate them. “Dublin City Council has outsourced to the private bin companies to do their dirty work for them, excuse the pun,” she said.

Not only is banning bin bags “not a workable solution,” she said the manner in which residents were informed about the changes left a lot to be desired. Rather than have their views heard and engaged with, locals simply received a letter from their bin provider informing of the change.

Speaking on behalf of a grassroots group of neighbours calling for collective action, local activist Caoimhe addressed the large crowd gathered at City Hall. “It feels a bit ridiculous to be protesting against bins, we should be out fighting about things that will actively improve our lives such as better healthcare, social housing, third spaces,” she said.

“But, instead we have to push back against an absurd suggestion that was clearly written by someone who doesn't know the area we live in, the types of problems that will arise from this, or the exacerbation of the current cost of living crisis that this plan will bring around."

She said there are a multitude of reasons wheelie bins will not work, but believes the real issue is the current political climate “where communities and individuals are having less say in the decisions that will directly affect them”. Lisa, a Phibsborough Tidy Towns member, also spoke at the rally.

“We will not have our city blocked by bins. We are passionate about recycling, biodiversity, and a clean environment. We will not accept any of the changes, they have no idea who they are messing with,” she said.

Speaking outside City Hall, Fianna Fáil Cllr John Stephens said he understands the concerns of residents and that he believes the deferral to allow further consultation is “a good thing”. But, he said it’s important not to forget the goal of the council’s new waste management strategy and spoke of “the carnage, the birds, and the litter” that bags on the street cause.

He said the deferral offers time to find a solution that suits everyone and said the pushback against the closure of the Grangegorman bring centre highlights how communities banding together can bring about tangible results. “You have to consult with people and make sure you come up with a solution that suits everyone. But, I think most people agree that with the black bin bags and rubbish flying around Dublin doesn’t look great,” he said.

Former Lord Mayor and Fine Gael Cllr Ray McAdam said the decision to defer the ban has been brewing for several weeks and now there is time for “proper consultation”. He said DCC will facilitate consultation with residents’ associations, as well as drop-in information sessions and online consultations.

Cllr McAdam said this will allow for a “fuller understanding of what’s possible and what is not”. Now that there is a timeframe until October he said “we must utilise that time well” as this stands a definitive moment before the ban is rolled out citywide.

While residents are concerned that come October they will simply be offered wheelie bins and stacked caddies again, Cllr McAdam believes there is potential for real change and also highlighted the campaign to save the Grangegorman bring centre. He said during that time they threatened a Section 140, which would require DCC carry out their wishes and that this could happen again.

“That option still remains, and if I was to place a Section 140 for this council tonight, it would be unanimously adopted,” Cllr McAdam told Dublin Live.

The real point of concern for Cllr McAdam is the lack of proper consultation from the outset, stating the previous process “left an awful lot to be desired”. He said DCC took a step back on this issue and allowed the bin companies to take the lead which is “not acceptable”.

“A local authority, a municipal authority like Dublin City Council, always needs to be communicating clearly with its citizens. They didn't on this occasion. We need to do better, and I believe we will.”

This content is funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme

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