'Shocking' TV campaign to boost recycling

A controversial television campaign showing an area being engulfed by a tidal wave of waste is being launched today in a bid to urge more people to recycle their rubbish.

The contents of the Government-produced advertisement are considered so shocking that they will not be broadcast until after the 9pm watershed.

Environment Minister Martin Cullen is unveiling the national Race Against Waste campaign in an attempt to make people realise the scale of the problem faced by the Republic.

It comes as Dublin faces a waste collection crisis with around 50,000 households not having their rubbish collected.

Campaigners against waste charges were blocking all seven refuse collection depots in the city’s four local authority areas in protest at the levy.

Dublin city manager John Fitzgerald said the situation was unacceptable.

He said: “We can’t tolerate a small group attempting to hold the city to ransom.

“It is a very small group of hardcore activists, about a hundred in total. It only takes about 15 people to block trucks leaving a depot.

“I think it’s wrong and it’s unacceptable that a small group like that should deprive the entire city of a refuse collection.”

The campaign against bin charges began in the Fingal area of the city last month.

Campaigners blocked trucks in protest at the council’s policy not to collect the bins of those who refused to pay the charges.

Socialist Party TD Joe Higgins and his colleague councillor Clare Daly were jailed for a month for not complying with a High Court injunction requesting them to allow the trucks through.

Several householders were also jailed for up to two weeks for breaching orders.

The scale of the action escalated sharply yesterday, with protesters blocking depots across Dublin. More than 50,000 households did not have their waste collected as a result.

In one of the protests a campaigner was carried on the bonnet of a council truck. He was treated in hospital for cuts and bruises but later released.

The incident was being investigated by council officials and gardaí.