Disposal costs rise on a load of rubbish

A RAFT of major price hikes — including a new charge to recycle — will be introduced at Cork’s city dump next month.

And local politicians are bracing themselves for a public backlash over city management’s controversial decision to introduce a €2 charge to use the Kinsale Road civic amenity site’s recycling centre.

To date the facility has been free of charge. The introduction of the charge has however been delayed until the start of February in an attempt to encourage people to recycle their Christmas trees.

The charges imposed at the dump for other waste disposal facilities are also going up from February.

The cost of bringing a car-load of rubbish into the dump will rise from €20 to €25.

The cost of bringing a small low-sided single-axle car trailer full of waste will rocket from €10 to €70.

Commercial customers are also facing price hikes with the cost of disposing of green waste up from €75 per tonne to €90 a tonne.

The cost of disposing of timber waste will also rise from €60 to €75.

The disposal of asbestos from commercial customers will go up from €715 per tonne to €1,000 per tonne.

City officials defended the new recycling charge and said the other increases were being kept to a minimum.

“The cost of recycling is very expensive,” a spokes person said. “The €2 fee does not even reflect the true cost of recycling. It is a token amount.”

He said the other fees were typical of the pricing systems of many local authorities.

News of the charges came as Green Cllr Chris O’Leary urged people not to use “cowboy” waste disposal companies to deal with their post-Christmas household waste.

“I am urging all householders, if approached by companies offering waste disposal services, to ask to see a copy of their waste license,” he said.

“The responsibility lies with householders to ensure that their waste is properly disposed of.

“They could face fines or even prosecution if their waste is illegally dumped by somebody else.”

Meanwhile, Christmas trees can be dropped off from tomorrow, January 6, until January 31 at a number of collection points around the city for recycling.

These include the Kinsale Road dump, Clashduv Park, Murphy’s Farm in Bishopstown, Ballinlough Park, the Glen Amenity Park, the green at the junction of Murmount Road, Iona Road in Montenotte, Tinkers Cross and the green area next to the Sam Allen Sports Complex.