COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Monday, June 14, 2010
QUESTION NO. 10
QUESTION: Councillor C. King
To ask the Manager to report on the proposed roll-out of the new brown bin Service indicating possible cost to users, frequency of service, effect on grey bin service, date of commencement of service and the options available to households who wish to opt-out of the service?
REPLY:
In accordance with the EU Landfill Directive, 1999, the amount of biodegradeable waste going to landfill must be reduced by a minimum of 65%. Currently about 60% of the waste produced by each household is made up of materials that are either recyclable or compostable but all waste disposed of in the black bin goes to landfill and is no longer of use. The separation of kitchen and garden waste into a brown bin for collection allows it to be turned into compost for landscaping.
The Council intends to commence delivery of brown bins (together with information packs) to householders from Wednesday 16th June 2010 with the first collections scheduled to commence shortly thereafter. The roll-out of brown bins throughout the County will continue throughout the summer months and by September all households should be provided with brown and black bin collections on alternate weeks.
The cost to the customer per brown bin collection will be 50% of the large (240 litre) black bin, currently €8 and brown bin collections will be provided every two weeks (on alternate weeks to black bin collections) - all customers will receive a calendar detailing the start date for the new system in their area. It should be noted that collections of both black and brown bins will be provided on Bank Holidays.
Using the brown bin will significantly reduced the amount of waste to be presented in the black bin with the following materials permitted in accordance with the Third Schedule of the Council's Storage, Presentation and Collection of Household Waste Bye-Laws 2007:
- Kitchen food scraps/fruit & vegetables
- Meat, fish, poultry & bones
- Tea bags, coffee grinds & paper filters
- Breads, cakes & biscuits
- Soups & sauces, eggs & dairy products
- Out of date foods (cheese, yoghurt etc. – no plastic packaging)
- Paper napkins & paper towels
- Food soiled in light cardboard or paper (no coated paper)
- Grass clippings, leaves & plant trimmings (up to finger sized twigs)
- Cut flowers, old plants, moss & weeds – (no weed killer)
These Bye-laws also require that householders must take a brown bin when one is delivered. The Brown Bin allows householders to compost additional items that they cannot put into a garden composter-such as dairy products, raw and cooked meat and fish.
Large families who are inconvenienced by the black bin collection reducing to alternate weeks may be provided with an additional black bin if appropriate.