Sir, – There seems to have been a very gradual policy whereby local authorities have been removing public bins from busy areas, at a time when they are most needed.
What are bins for? The public is now reluctant to lift the plethora of masks, paper cups, and the environmentally undesirable plastic tumblers from the ground, as there are no bins nearby in which to discard them.
In south Dublin as a whole, the litter situation has badly deteriorated. More and more people are happily walking in the environs of Marlay Park; however, in the Ballinteer, Rathfarnham and Dundrum area, bins have become rarities. Not only that, but in the shopping centre opposite Marlay Park, which accommodates the likes of Lidl and Centra, together with a pharmacy and other typical takeaway businesses, there isn’t a bin in sight. Furthermore, the population of dogs in this area has exploded and we must endure the presence of used poo bags as part of our streetscape.
The council logic seems to be that if bins are provided, heaven forbid, people will use them and this, in turn, will mean that the council will have to empty them. Shops, particularly those selling food and drink, should be made provide bins outside their premises and to take responsibility for their disposal. Additionally, the council, particularly in this area, urgently needs to provide more public bins. – Yours, etc,
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MAUREEN
DUCKENFIELD,
Ballinteer,
Dublin 16.