EPA says bins should be spot checked to ensure waste is separated

Homeowners and businesses should have their bins spot checked by their local councils to ensure waste is being separated properly, with prosecution as a deterrent, the environmental watchdog has said. Picture: Denis Minihane

Homeowners and businesses should have their bins spot checked by their local councils to ensure waste is being separated properly, with prosecution as a deterrent, the environmental watchdog has said.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said that while 520 local authority staff across the country had carried out 197,000 environmental inspections last year, "in many areas it is not delivering the necessary environmental outcomes" related to the likes of water quality and waste separation.