Householders entitled to brown bin collection service in new year

All households will be entitled to a brown bin recycling collection service from next year, under new EU legislation.

The legislation is set to benefit those in more remote areas, where brown bin services have not been as available compared to urban areas.

Up until now, only 69pc of households in Ireland are able to avail of a brown bin collection service, with many of those without a brown bin in rural parts of the country.

Among the items that can go into brown bins are food waste, including raw and cooked meat, fish, vegetable and fruit peelings, along with paper napkins and pizza boxes, and grass clippings.

The Meath Chronicle recently reported how householders who hadn't been supplied with compost bins were angry that they had to pay the new Waste Recovery Levy.

Customers of Bord na Móna in rural parts of the county complained about paying the charge, which was introduced to encourage people to reduce general waste by recycling and composting.

They pointed out that they could not reduce the waste they sent to landfill or incineration, because they didn't have compost bins.

“The levy is being charged on the tonnage of general waste, the waste that goes to landfill or incineration. Compost waste is the heaviest of all, so we have no chance of reducing the weight because we haven't got compost bins,” said Bohermeen resident, Rita Kenny.

“None of my neighbours have compost bins and we don't seem to have a choice of changing our service provider. I contacted the company when I realised what the levy was, and they've told me it could be 18 months to two years, before we all get our compost bins,” she pointed out.

“It is not just the additional cost, but the principle of it. We have no way of reducing our waste.

“As a customer who does not have these bins provided, why should I have to pay this levy.”

Bord na Mona Recycling recently sent out a leaflet to customers in the area in which they explained the government levies €10 on each tonne of general waste.

Customers were informed that Bord na Mona absorbed the costs for September but all customers would be charged 1c per kilo of general waste from October and this will appear on their quarterly invoice.

“Households can manage the impact of this charge through effective use of their recycling and organic bins,” according to the circular.

A spokesperson for Bord na Móna Recycling said at the time that in certain rural areas with a population of less than 500 people, it hasn’t been feasible to provide brown bin collection services to date.

“This aligned with the requirements that were previously set out in the 2015 EU Household Food Waste and Bio-waste Regulations which introduced brown bins to population centres above 500 people.

“In line with the recently updated Household Food Waste and Biowaste regulations and wider industry efforts, the company is currently developing plans for the rollout of a brown bin collection service for households in locations with a population of less than 500 people.”