Local TD raises concern about bin charge increases in Laois/Offaly

Laois/Offaly Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley has raised his concerns around recent reports that waste collection companies have warned they may increase prices for recycling bin collections to make up for the loss of plastic bottles and drinks cans to the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS).

Deputy Stanley said: “The slogan in this country for many years has been, reduce, reuse, recycle and when the people of Ireland do the right thing, the private waste collection operators want to hit everyone in their pockets, again.

"These waste collection companies increase charges year on year, even before they used this excuse that people are using the Deposit Return Scheme too much.

"I very much doubt that anyone on the government benches can say that the privatisation of waste collection has been a success, and this latest threat to increase prices in another example of that.’’

“In my own area there are four different companies, collecting waste on different days, and at different times. The Government should be looking to take back control of the waste management sector and put it back under the remit of local councils.

"Multiple EU states have proven that this is the way forward, not only is it better for consumers, but it is better for the environment too.

"The deposit return scheme is a scheme that is reasonably successful, and I support this as a way of reducing litter and the size of our ever increasing waste mountain. However, this should not be used as an excuse by private companies to double charge householders."