Sherlock calls for “total overhaul” of Dublin waste management

Labour Senator Marie Sherlock has said it has become “increasingly clear” that Dublin’s waste management system needs a “comprehensive overhaul.”

“Pride of Place groups, Tidy Towns organisations and local environmental campaigning groups from across the inner city and the urban villages beyond that are making it very clear that the existing system of waste management in Dublin is not working,” she said.

Sherlock was speaking after a meeting in the Barbara Ward Clonliffe Community Centre with residents and local Pride of Place and Tidy town groups from Ballybough, Clonliffe Road, Drumcondra and Phibsborough.

“Every day we see bin companies driving past waste strewn on our streets, the onus is put on residents to report illegal dumping and Dublin City Council (DCC) is effectively left to clean up the mess and provide the free recycling services. Ultimately we have a serious underinvestment in waste management in Dublin and the reality is, we’re all paying the price for a system that is failing.

“Local groups are expressing huge frustration about the lack of accountability and traceability of landlords and owner occupiers who do not have bin contracts in place. ”

She said that some 3000 tonnes of illegally dumped waste are picked up by DCC each year.

“We have a few thousand households in our area who are deprived of a brown/compost collection even though it is the law since the start of the year that every household has such a collection. Those on the 900 streets across the city who have an exemption from bins and who rely on bags instead of bins are not being afforded a brown collection service as is the law and the bin collection companies seem to think these homes are exempt.”

Sherlock noted that bin prices are set to increase in 2025 owing to changes in waste exporting laws, yet there is no single body that is responsible for waste management in Dublin.

“At present, DCC spends €71 million a year trying to keep our city clean and provide recycling facilities, but the question remains – is this really enough and more importantly, is this the best we can do?”

“Unfortunately with bin companies creaming profits from bin collection, there is no re-investment of resources back into waste management to promote innovation in how waste is collected. We believe we need to see investment into share collection points, consideration of underground collection systems and crucially that we ensure that there is much communal recycling centres that also provide composting facilities.”

“Local community groups have made remarkable efforts. Many people I speak with remind me of a time when road sweepers would travel with bin lorries, ensuring not only that the bins were collected, but that the streets were left clean in their wake.”

“It’s time to radically rethink who is responsible for collecting our waste. Dublin needs a single operator for waste collection across the entire city and county. Only with a unified system can we ensure that there is accountability, consistency, and value for our community. We need greater regulation over costs and service quality, and we must take responsibility for the cleanliness of our streets. Waste collection is about more than just emptying bins – it’s about keeping our city liveable.

“We cannot allow the dysfunction to continue. Dublin deserves a clean, well-maintained city, and the current patchwork system of private bin companies and local authorities simply isn’t delivering. We need to overhaul waste management from the ground up and create a system that is efficient, accountable, and fair. Our communities deserve better, and I will continue to press for meaningful reform. It’s time to move beyond the status quo and ensure a cleaner, brighter future for Dublin.”