Overview
- Dublin City Council chief Richard Shakespeare says people are emptying public bins daily to collect deposit containers, describing parts of the city as “a bomb site” and estimating €500,000 to €1 million in extra annual cleaning costs.
- He says the council is retrofitting street bins with new locks to stop them being opened, citing bin damage and litter left after bags are tipped out.
- Re-turn says it is open to engagement with the council to understand the stated costs and improve operations in the city centre.
- The scheme operator urges consumers to use deposit return machines rather than public bins and highlights partnerships with local authorities, including Dublin City Council, to install bin surrounds or bottle trays.
- Re-turn reports recycling capture rising from about 49% to an estimated rate above 90%, with over 76% collected through the scheme, and cites independent monitoring showing a 60% drop in bottle and can litter nationwide, while Green Party councillor Janet Horner calls the council chief’s remarks unfair to vulnerable people.