Frustrated city centre traders are furious over Dublin City Council's new 'BinBags' aimed at preventing seagulls from ripping open refuse sacks.
Foldable plastic cylinders are set to be given out to traders which they place over their bags of rubbish on the street. Binmen then pick up the rubbish and fold up the bin and place it on a hook on the wall of the business or somewhere else on the street.
Previously, unprotected refuse sacks were left out on the street much to the delight of seagulls and vermin. The scheme will be first rolled out on a number of streets on the southside with high footfall.
A number of traders have been in touch with the council to vent their anger at the new project. Denise O'Connor of Rare Jewellery Design said the "hideous new plan" was "completely unacceptable".
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She wrote in an email: "I have been told that we will have to store these 'BagBins' on our premises when they are not outside and that when they have been emptied they will be hung on the outside of our 'listed buildings' for us to take in the following day.
"Drilling into the red brick of our listed buildings to hang hooks! I or my staff are supposed to handle these BagBins after they have been sitting on the pavement for dogs and humans alike to urinate on.
"These BagBins will no doubt be lifted off the hooks and thrown around at night."
"Why is money and time being invested in a 'sticky-plaster', unworkable scheme instead of addressing the actual waste bins that we have around our city?"
Ms O'Connor suggested DCC invest in an underground bin which businesses can throw their waste in before it is collected by a truck.
She wrote: "My suggestion is that Dublin City Council look at most other European cities which have bins under the pavement that the rubbish goes into and which are lifted by the trucks and emptied. (not dissimilar to bottle banks but below the normal street bins.)"
Ronan Rogerson of Drury Buildings said their had not been "proper consultation" with businesses. He said: "Once again a hair brained scheme has been pushed through without proper consideration of the knock on consequences.
"A family get told they can’t put a bike lock up in their front garden by ABP and you want us to fix these plastic monstrosities to our shop fronts in a historic city.
"Honestly guys can we please sit down and come up with a plan that actually works. The state of our streets is so upsetting to businesses and residents. We can do better!"
Mr Rogerson suggested the council should go back to the old system except with a timely pick up so waste is not on the street for "up to 12 hours". He said "The simplest way to manage this is enforce a tight collection time with the waste management companies".
Another business owner said the plan would leave him asking customers to "please come in my shop, I have a smelly bag outside".
DCC boss Owen Keegan denied the scheme was "hair-brained" in a response to Mr Rogerson. He wrote in an email: "Needless to say, I reject your assertion that it is ‘a hair brained scheme has been pushed through without proper consideration of the knock on consequences’.
"The initiative has been developed in consultation with Dublin Town. It was proposed by a businessman in response to an open call for proposals to deal with the problem of the presentation of waste in unprotected plastic bags."
Mr Keegan said traders will have the option to chose between the 'BagBins' and wheelie bins but added that he believes it is "inevitable" that bin bags on streets will end.
"It is not intended as a definitive solution to the problems associated with the presentation of waste in unprotected plastic bags," he said. "It is intended to allow another option for businesses who currently present waste in plastic bags.
"When the presentation of waste in unprotected plastic bags is prohibited, which I believe is inevitable, businesses will have the option of using wheelie bins or the Bagbin.
"There is nothing to stop you and/or other businesses proposing alternative solutions." Dublin Live contacted DCC for comment.
The first phase of the project will be rolled out on the following streets:
- Grafton Street
- South William Street
- Exchequer Street
- Drury Street
- Castlemarket Street
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