Waste collection firms threaten legal action

FOUR local authorities in the Dublin region could be facing a legal challenge from private bin firms over their controversial plans to limit the number of household waste collectors in the capital.

Private sector waste collection companies have threatened legal action to prevent the civic authorities from taking what they claim are anti-competitive measures, which will lead to higher bin charges for households.

The four councils — Dublin City, Fingal, South Dublin and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown — justified their decision to vary the Waste Management Plan for the Dublin Region 2005-2010 to ensure ambitious recycling targets of 59% are met.

The local authorities are believed to have taken the initiative in response to the growth in the number of private operators collecting domestic refuse around the city.

On behalf of the four local authorities, Dublin City Council will review the waste permits for about 100 private bin companies that collect household waste in the region.

The collection of such waste from private households, excluding purpose-built apartment blocks, will be carried out by the local authorities or by firms who successfully tender for a licence to be awarded by the councils.

Dublin assistant city manager Matt Twomey said the recent entry of private operators who provided a service on the same collection routes was “unsustainable” on grounds of traffic congestion, noise and pollution.

He pointed out local authorities funded a waiver scheme for almost 70,000 low-income families, as well as a range of other essential services relating to household waste that were not provided by the private sector.

Mr Twomey has rejected allegations by private collectors that the councils are placing restrictions on private waste firms in order to guarantee a sufficient level of waste material for their controversial plans for a waste incinerator at Ringsend.

One private waste firm, City Bin, claimed the four councils had got together “to write their own rule book for preserving a market monopoly”.

City Bin managing director Niall Killilea said the plans ran contrary to regulations announced by Environment Minister John Gormley in December, which are due to come into effect on March 31 and which would facilitate national controls on waste collection.

Mr Killilea called on Mr Gormley to clarify if the local authorities in the Dublin area were abandoning government regulations.