COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF TALLAGHT AREA COMMITTEE
Monday, April 26, 2021
MOTION NO.2
MOTION: Councillor M. Duff
"That this Area Committee calls for the introduction of Big Belly Solar bins in Tymon Park to assist this destination Park to reduce the amount of overflow of litter bins, experienced once the warmer weather attracts more visitors to Tymon Park."
Report :
South Dublin County Council parks have seen a huge increase in footfall and usage of facilities during the various periods and levels of Covid 19 restrictions, particularly during those periods where movement has been restricted to within a 5km radius of home. This has resulted in an increase in usage of litter bins and unfortunately an increase in litter in parks in general.
South Dublin County Council put in place increased cleaning and litter bin servicing in April/May 2020 and this has remained in place at all times throughout the pandemic, at a substantial increase in cost to the Council. The servicing of litter bins in parks at weekends is a relatively new aspect of the cleansing and litterbin service, it was introduced in the first instance on bank holiday weekends in the four main parks and was then increased in the early days of Covid 19 restrictions to cover all park litter bins being serviced once over each weekend as well as on bank holidays when they occur. The cost of the weekend element of the cleaning and litter bin services which are currently in place in town and village centres and in parks is approximately €260,000 per year.
The current arrangements in Tymon Park are currently being reviewed in light of a renewed increase in park usage with days lengthening and weather improving, as the Covid 19 restrictions remain in place. The provision of additional temporary bins is being trialled in Corkagh Park at the present time with some modifications being made at present to usage of a more robust bin type. If the trial is deemed successful in Corkagh Park then the provision of temporary bins will be considered for Tymon Park also. It is expected that as the restrictions are eased and removed that usage of parks will return to a more normal level, when people are able to travel beyond their own county and indeed out of the country.
It is clear that litter is at times being left beside and on top of litter bins by people using the parks for legitimate purposes. It is most likely the case that users see this as responsible disposal of waste items such as coffee cups etc however these items usually end up on the ground, scattered around the park and contributing to the litter problem. The Council would like to appeal to all park users as follows –
- If a litter bin is full, please do not leave litter or bagged dog waste beside the bin or on top of it. Instead please either take your waste home or put it in another litter bin.
- Weekends are particularly busy in our parks during lockdown. While the parks litter bins are serviced over the weekends and at bank holidays, it is not always possible to service bins before they become full nor is it possible to service them multiple times in one day.
- The Council would like to appeal to park users to apply the 'Leave no trace' principle and to take their waste home for disposal if at all possible and to deal with their waste items in a responsible manner.
- The Council would like to direct members of the public to the www.mywaste.ie website as well as to the Council website www.sdccc.ie for information and tips on good environmental practice in the management and recycling of waste.
The current position with regard to the provision of solar powered bins is that while these bins are considered to be suitable in certain locations there is regrettably no funding in place at the present time to cover the substantial cost in providing this bin type. As previously reported the cost of a single unit is in the region of €6,000. A cost/benefit analysis is being prepared at the present time to examine the cost to provide this bin type in certain locations against potential savings arising from them.