COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, May 10, 2021

QUESTION NO. 29

QUESTION: Councillor F. Timmons

To ask the Chief Executive for a report into how he proposes to deal with the important issue of increasing recycling banks, what can be done to increase banks and how can SDCC promote and sell the importance of them to the public in our fight to combat climate change ?

REPLY:

The Council's policy regarding the provision of recycling bring banks is set down in the Council's Community Recycling Strategy and this document makes reference to national waste policy and the regional waste management plan.  The strategy document covers the period 2016 to 2021, it is due for replacement this year and the review and replacement process will be conducted through the Environment, Water and Climate Change SPC.  There are a number of major changes being implemented at present with regard to waste management policy and planning and for this reason the review process has not yet commenced.  The new Waste Management Plan for the Circular Economy was launched in September 2020 by Minister Ryan, further legislation and initiatives are expected during the implementation of this plan. One major change being implemented at present is the move from three waste management regions and plans to one waste management region/plan, a national public consultation process is about to commence in relation to the drafting of this plan.

There are 70 locations throughout the County offering recycling facilities excluding the Civic Amenity Recycling Facility at Ballymount where a wide range of materials can be recycled.  Efforts have been made over the past 3 to 4 years to identify and provide additional bring bank sites in the North Clondalkin area however these efforts have not been successful to date.  A total of 15 sites have been examined by the Council in recent years and deemed suitable for the development of a glass recycling bring bank however none of these sites has been developed.  The reasons for this are as follows, (1) in the case of privately owned sites permission has not been forthcoming from the landowners for the development of a bring bank and (2) in the case of publicly owned sites the proposals have been rejected by local residents who were consulted on the proposals in accordance with the strategy/policy.  The review will examine these issues and attempt to resolve them.