COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, October 16, 2017

MOTION NO.6

MOTION: Councillor R. Nolan

That this Council on a pilot basis introduces Environmental Compaction Systems such as pay to use portables, where the customer is always in control, thus helping to reduce fly tipping.

REPORT:

Pay to Use waste compactors are in general provided on privately owned sites by waste operators as a joint commercial venture between landowner and operator.  These are in general provided in locations where the operators have identified a need for the provision of such a unit, in areas where the take up of kerbside waste collections is low.  This is not the case in the Dublin Region where the number of kerbside collectors is high giving householders a wide range of choice in selecting a service provider which in turn gives rise to competition in the market and therefore lower costs. 

It should also be noted that Pay to Use waste compactors require both planning approval and authorisation under the waste facility permitting system. 

While there are some exceptions, these facilities in general are not provided by local authorities around the country.  

South Dublin County Council provides a facility at the Ballymount Civic Amenity Centre for users to dispose of black bag waste, with users charged per vehicle entry, and this will continue to be the case.  It is not proposed to replace the current system with a Pay to Use facility at Ballymount as this would most likely give rise to increased costs in the operation of the facility and therefore increased costs to the user. 

There is a requirement on householders to segregate their waste into residual waste, dry recyclable waste and household food waste.  To be in accordance with current waste management practice, any PTU facility should be equipped to accept all three waste streams from the user of the facility.  This obviously presents difficulties and whereas previously PTU facilities were set up to accept residual (black bag) waste only, these requirements would seem to suggest that multiple containers would be required.