# Pay by weight is back



## Nordkapp (20 Jun 2017)

The can kicked down the road by Coveny in July 2016 is now back on the menu.
Does not wildly affect me as I made changes when they last tried to bring this in.

Thorntons

Greyhound

AES ireland still have a flat rate collection indicated at the moment

[broken link removed] switched customers to E-Tag to facilitate the charging of pay by weight it seems.

Allied Recycling slipped in the E-tag option for all customers from April. Again it would seem pay by weight is going to be applied very soon.

Might be no harm to do a comparison of each firms charges given they are not supposed to be in a cartel and are under different ownership!


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## Monbretia (20 Jun 2017)

We've had pay by weight for at least two years if not more, was it only deferred in Dublin?


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## Nordkapp (20 Jun 2017)

It was deferred in many areas outside Dublin and in parts of Dublin. 
It will be interesting to see how large households fare under this system as it is penal to young families and families with more than 2 children. An analysis I did of my own waste charges for a family of 4 indicated my waste charge would increase by 160 Euro annually.


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## RedOnion (20 Jun 2017)

I've had pay by weight since we moved 5 years ago (DLR). For a realistic comparison, we have 2 young kids, one still in nappies, black bin goes out pretty full every 2nd week. Paid 330 for the last year with Panda.


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## Nordkapp (20 Jun 2017)

Yes RedOnion, in our case it would go from 260 to 420 based on weights lifted for general waste. It was then I found there was to be a charge for recyclables as well. Will sit back and watch this one unfold.


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## Leo (21 Jun 2017)

Nordkapp said:


> The can kicked down the road by Coveny in July 2016 is now back on the menu.
> 
> Thorntons



That Thornton's page hasn't been updated since they deferred last year. Their options for new customers don't include a pay-by-weight option either, so I'd imagine it'll be some time yet before they introduce it.


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## demoivre (21 Jun 2017)

Monbretia said:


> We've had pay by weight for at least two years if not more, was it only deferred in Dublin?



 I'm not paying by weight in Wexford and I have heard nothing from Greenstar saying it's about to change.


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## Nordkapp (27 Jun 2017)

charging schemes are announced

http://www.independent.ie/irish-new...bid-to-increase-recycling-rates-35871506.html

https://www.rte.ie/news/2017/0627/886009-waste-charges/


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## MrEarl (28 Jun 2017)

I have a bad feeling that we are all going to end up paying more under this new system - regardless of the amount of waste we produce etc.

If the government really cared about promoting recycling then they would do more to encourage it - make it easy for people to recycle more products (i.e. bottles, electronics etc.)


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## Leper (28 Jun 2017)

Nice sentiment there MrEarl. But, remember when supermarkets gave over outside space for paper recycling and because of paper being abandoned all over the area, they ceased recycling paper altogether, but kept bottle/clothes recycling bins.

You see MrEarl, many of the Irish are a filthy race. We see it every day with rubbish being thrown from cars on our country roads. Our beaches are polluted with plastic and used nappies every time we get a little sun. There isn't a day goes by that I don't see people throwing cigarette butts from their cars. Our "yuppie" Saturday/Sunday markets are destroyed with spent plastic coffee/tea cups. There's glass broken on almost every road. How often do we come across used MacDonalds fast food papers thrown on our lawns? I could go on and on (as I usually do), but the bottom line is we are a filthy race. 

The cure is to bring our rubbish home and then dispose of it, but filthy minded Paddys don't do that.


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## Nordkapp (28 Jun 2017)

MrEarl said:


> I have a bad feeling that we are all going to end up paying more under this new system - regardless of the amount of waste we produce etc.
> 
> If the government really cared about promoting recycling then they would do more to encourage it - make it easy for people to recycle more products (i.e. bottles, electronics etc.)



Yes, fully agree. My local recycling centre is €3 gate fee, I have no doubt to encourage recycling that it too will increase. I do a grey bin every 4 to 6 weeks. Last one weighted 28 Kg so i still have a bit of work to do. Polluter pays principle but there simply are not enough recycling areas around. My local recycling centre won't take clean plastic food cartons or polyethene bags!


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## Nordkapp (28 Jun 2017)

Leper, you always tell a clean Paddy from the state of the inside of his car! Very general statements on the Irish race but one I would agree with in terms of waste is that we are not clean. However having been to London many times, they are not very clean either as there is a mix of race there from countries where fly tipping is the norm.


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## delfio (28 Jun 2017)

Nordkapp said:


> My local recycling centre won't take clean plastic food cartons !



Isn't that just ridiculous, what's the difference between plastic milk containers and plastic food containers.
 The tax payer will pay again and yes prices will spiral upwards. Of course they should be more local recycling banks but many have been removed because people abused the facilities as they were dumping all sorts of rubbish into them.


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## Leo (28 Jun 2017)

delfio said:


> Isn't that just ridiculous, what's the difference between plastic milk containers and plastic food containers.



High-density polyethene Vs polypropylene. They're different materials and polythene is more widely accepted.


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## demoivre (28 Jun 2017)

According to Naughten:

 "From now on, waste companies will still be allowed to apply standing charges, but they will also have to contain a usage element such as pay-by-weight or pay per lift."

I currently pay a standing charge and I pay per lift so does that mean I will see no changes to charges? Still no word from Greenstar !


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## tallpaul (28 Jun 2017)

Nothing up on the Oxigen website either. Sure, there is only three days to go to 1 July, why bother informing customers!! They have only had a year to get their act together.

Of course I wouldn't have much confidence in them anyway given that one of their press releases is titled 'Sponsership' (sic)...


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## vandriver (28 Jun 2017)

I pay a flat rate of €17 a month with Greyhound,and have heard precisely nothing.


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## rob oyle (28 Jun 2017)

Is it not the case that the operators have to wait for the politicians to decide what they will permit the industry to do, therefore the operators have been waiting for the legislation to be cleared?


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## Romulan (28 Jun 2017)

I was at the airshow in Paris last week and one thing that was very noticeable to me was there was no litter.
People were careful to put it in bins.

That said, there were big bins everywhere and resources assigned to keeping the place clean.


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## Seagull (29 Jun 2017)

Romulan said:


> I was at the airshow in Paris last week and one thing that was very noticeable to me was there was no litter.
> People were careful to put it in bins.
> 
> That said, there were big bins everywhere and resources assigned to keeping the place clean.



Nice to know that some people are capable of doing the right thing. Have you seen the pictures of Glastonbury after the festival finished? It's just one huge sea of litter.


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## MrEarl (29 Jun 2017)

Hello,

I accept that we as a nation could do a lot more in terms of keeping the country clean ... but I think we need both carrot and stick here, because old habits die hard.

Where are all the litter bins in the public parks for example, or on the beaches ?  Time and time again I see parks and beaches covered with litter of one form or another (often food wrappers, or plastic bottles so at least some of these could be recycled).  Is it really too much to ask that we see more bins provided, to help dispose of waste properly ?

Why not see more more pressure put on retailers, fast food outlets etc. to use materials that can be recycled ?  If we can change things at the source, then it helps the end result does it not ?

I have about as much confidence in our current minister to do something positive to help our rubbish problem, as I do in him to successfully roll out broadband to rural Ireland (well, perhaps excluding his own home town which I'm sure will end up with 1,000mb downloads before he finishes his term)


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## thedaddyman (29 Jun 2017)

The councils are in one respect in a Catch-22. They need to put out more bins for people to put rubbish in, but if they do so then people use it to dump household refuse in. An increase in waste charges will only see more of that,

Having said that, there is also the fact that some people frankly are utter pigs. House at the end of my street has a leather suite in the front garden, a broken telly, a trailer with 2 flat tyres and God knows what else dumped in it. All the people there are doing is raising another generation of pigs who will know no better. There needs to be serious fines thrown at flytippers, 4 and 5 figure sums if needed.

I certainly believe fast food outlets should be made move everything to recyclables, and coffee shops as well, I was shocked when I found out that disposable coffee cups are rarely recycled

However we also have to accept that some tough decisions need to be made. Poolbeg is probably needed, even if it may be in the wrong place.


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## LS400 (2 Jul 2017)

The Catch-22 was evident in Killarney recently, the street was strewn with rubbish, which looks bad for any area in the Country, not least a major tourist area. 

When I finished my own coffee, I eventually found a bin on the walk back.
The following morning though, the area was spotless.

Also, it is sad, but when ever I have seen the street bin being used for general waste, it's usually an elderly person. But, an older person who probably only needs to put a bin out once a month or two, would feel hard done by paying any form of standing charge to look at their wheelie bin sitting there.


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## Nordkapp (6 Jul 2017)

Let the increased charges begin

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ire...ers-face-fines-for-using-wrong-bins-1.3144570


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## Steven Barrett (6 Jul 2017)

I've been with Panada for 9 years now and I've always paid by weight and per lift as well as a fixed charge at the beginning of the year. My annual bills have been:

2013 - €281 (there would have been nappies in rubbish this year)
2014 - €218
2015 - €236
2016 - €229

That's for a family of 4.

We got a notice from Panada a few months back about people putting the wrong rubbish into the green bins. I can understand their position. It doesn't take much for the green bins to be soiled. When they are, it is a cost to Panda. Who should pay for this? Panda? Or should they increase costs for everyone? Or just impose a cost on the person who is soiling the bin? Instead of people giving out about these additional costs, maybe they should take personal responsibility for their own rubbish and put it in the correct bin. The green bins all comes with a Do and Don't list.
https://www.panda.ie/household/what-can-i-put-in-my-bin.html


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## Leo (6 Jul 2017)

Nordkapp said:


> Let the increased charges begin
> 
> https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ire...ers-face-fines-for-using-wrong-bins-1.3144570



I'm all in favour of that, and these fines, or at least the threats of them are nothing new, at least SDCC used to issue them before privatisation. 

The amount of contamination in recyclables here means that each year ~100,000 tonnes of what was supposed to be recycled gets diverted to landfill or is shipped abroad for hand sorting (or more likely landfill). So whereas the operators can sell clean recyclable material, they end up having to pay for disposal of all contaminated waste. The options are we all foot the bill for this or the operators start targeting those responsible for the contamination. I know which option I prefer.


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## Cervelo (6 Jul 2017)

Like Steven above I've been with Panda a long time and find them very good and quite resonable 
My bills for the last three years average about €160, thats for two of us
The yearly bill also includes a service charge of €72.64
The Green bin goes out full every two weeks, the Brown bin when full about seven times a year and the Black bin, once a year now and is only 3/4 full

Am I right in thinking that the service charge is been dropped in favour of charging for the Green bin or is this going to be an additional charge ??


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## Leo (6 Jul 2017)

Cervelo said:


> Am I right in thinking that the service charge is been dropped in favour of charging for the Green bin or is this going to be an additional charge ??



Hasn't been fully thrashed out yet. The one piece that is clear is that flat-rate fees will no longer be allowed, that is pay an annual fee and that's your total cost regardless of how often you put your bins out. So any new deal will have to include an element of pay-per-weight or lift.


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## MrEarl (6 Jul 2017)

Leo said:


> ....The amount of contamination in recyclables here means that each year ~100,000 tonnes of what was supposed to be recycled gets diverted to landfill or is shipped abroad for hand sorting (or more likely landfill). So whereas the operators can sell clean recyclable material, they end up having to pay for disposal of all contaminated waste. The options are we all foot the bill for this or the operators start targeting those responsible for the contamination. I know which option I prefer.



In principal, I would agree with you Leo.

I believe that I have seen reference made to our waste disposal companies finding things like soiled nappies in the green bins etc. which is simply inexcusable and should result in the offending party being fined. 

That said, I also think there needs to be some serious work done on educating the public on exactly what is and is not acceptable for recycling - specifically when it comes to items that may be contaminated because they were once used to hold food, or certain liquids (but clearly have been emptied and perhaps rinsed out).  I mean getting down to lots of practical examples, so everyone is 100% clear.  Once the education piece is done, then by all means bring in fines for those offending.


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## pudds (6 Jul 2017)

How are people who are told to have their bin out before 6am, and to achieve this have to put their
bin out the night before, going to prevent their bin from being contaminated by some stranger over night.


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## odyssey06 (6 Jul 2017)

pudds said:


> How are people who are told to have their bin out before 6am, and to achieve this have to put their
> bin out the night before, going to prevent their bin from being contaminated by some stranger over night.



You would have to pay €40 - €50 euros for a gravity lock... that might work for a personal bin but what about common bins in an apartment block or company? Impossible for the management company to police.


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## Cervelo (7 Jul 2017)

Interesting article about Panda waste, might have to re-think my opinion about them been "reasonable"

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/irel...tough-new-bin-rules-start-next-week-1.3144570

One thing that I always found strange is that where I live (DLRCC) we can put glass in our green bin but according to their website nobody else can!!


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## odyssey06 (7 Jul 2017)

Cervelo said:


> One thing that I always found strange is that where I live (DLRCC) we can put glass in our green bin but according to their website nobody else can!!



You certainly can't put glass into green bins in DCC... but this kind of discrepancy just adds to the confusion...


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## Leo (7 Jul 2017)

MrEarl said:


> I believe that I have seen reference made to our waste disposal companies finding things like soiled nappies in the green bins etc. which is simply inexcusable and should result in the offending party being fined.



Yeah, apparently nappies are quite common. 



MrEarl said:


> That said, I also think there needs to be some serious work done on educating the public on exactly what is and is not acceptable for recycling - specifically when it comes to items that may be contaminated because they were once used to hold food, or certain liquids (but clearly have been emptied and perhaps rinsed out).



Some providers likely do a better job than others, but I think there's a lot of people who are just lazy or choose not to pay attention. Even where I work there are labels attached to the recycling bins clearly stating should and should not go in them, and yet supposedly well-educated people still put a lot of non-recyclables into the recycling bin. And in this instance there isn't even a financial incentive, it's just pure laziness.


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## T McGibney (7 Jul 2017)

Talk of contamination in used food containers etc is fatuous. Of course they're going to be contaminated if they've been used. It's stupid and counterproductive to expect people to dishwash containers before they're put in recycling.

We need a proper incineration-based system like they have elsewhere.


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## Cervelo (7 Jul 2017)

T McGibney said:


> Talk of contamination in used food containers etc is fatuous. Of course they're going to be contaminated if they've been used. It's stupid and counterproductive to expect people to dishwash containers before they're put in recycling.



If you dont wash the recylable containers is it not the same as putting food in the green bin??


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## Steven Barrett (7 Jul 2017)

Cervelo said:


> Interesting article about Panda waste, might have to re-think my opinion about them been "reasonable"
> 
> http://www.irishtimes.com/news/irel...tough-new-bin-rules-start-next-week-1.3144570
> 
> One thing that I always found strange is that where I live (DLRCC) *we can put glass in our green bin* but according to their website nobody else can!!



I always assumed that you could put glass in recycling bins so was surprised when they had it listed as a no on their site. Then someone told me on twitter that in some areas they do allow it. I'm in DLRCC too, so fingers crossed that's acceptable. Save me having to have a 3rd bin in the house for bottles!


When I was a kid, everything got thrown in the same bin and got collected for free. Fast forward to today and you're washing your rubbish before sorting it and putting it into different bins!!


Steven 
www.bluewaterfp.ie


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## elcato (7 Jul 2017)

SBarrett said:


> When I was a kid, everything got thrown in the same bin and got collected for free.


Not second guessing your vintage, but they also had bottles for all liquid which had a deposit on return policy. This made sure that all young kids acted as clean up wardens rather than like nowadays. Nobody has mentioned the idea of return and deposit. I recall the US had tin can machines on the streets in the 80s so that the homeless actually collected these and got a reward. Guess it's cheaper just to allow plastic.


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## Steven Barrett (7 Jul 2017)

I'm 41 so I can remember those times. Also leaving the old milk bottles out to be collected by the milkman in the morning. That's about all the recycling we did.


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## Leo (7 Jul 2017)

T McGibney said:


> Talk of contamination in used food containers etc is fatuous.



What waste companies mean when saying contaminated is that they're contaminated to a point that the item itself cannot be recycled and likely contaminating other items alongside it in the bin. They don't need to be clean enough to re-use.


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## Firefly (7 Jul 2017)

Can I ask a question that I'm sure is a bit daft, but under the pay-by-weight model, how exactly do you know what you have been charged for? People don't usually weigh their wheelie bins, but do those collecting the rubbish tell you how heavy your bins were?


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## odyssey06 (7 Jul 2017)

Firefly said:


> Can I ask a question that I'm sure is a bit daft, but under the pay-by-weight model, how exactly do you know what you have been charged for? People don't usually weigh their wheelie bins, but do those collecting the rubbish tell you how heavy your bins were?



Online Greyhound account shows weight of black bins... it's weighed on the lift before and after it's emptied, and the difference is your kg charge... although it's hard to independently know if their figures are reliably accurate for all lifts.


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## Cervelo (7 Jul 2017)

The bin trucks can weigh the bin as its been lifted


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## Firefly (7 Jul 2017)

odyssey06 said:


> Online Greyhound account shows weight of black bins... it's weighed on the lift before and after it's emptied, and the difference is your kg charge... although it's hard to independently know if their figures are reliably accurate for all lifts.


Thanks!


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## T McGibney (7 Jul 2017)

Cervelo said:


> If you dont wash the recylable containers is it not the same as putting food in the green bin??


It is. But it's clearly insane to be using energy and water to wash food containers, if the object of the exercise is to minimise overall environmental impact.


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## MrEarl (10 Jul 2017)

Leo said:


> .....Some providers likely do a better job than others, but I think there's a lot of people who are just lazy or choose not to pay attention. Even where I work there are labels attached to the recycling bins clearly stating should and should not go in them, and yet supposedly well-educated people still put a lot of non-recyclables into the recycling bin. And in this instance there isn't even a financial incentive, it's just pure laziness.



Sadly, I have also seen that happen myself. 

No harm saying it to the offenders, if you happen to see them dumping their rubbish in the wrong bins 




T McGibney said:


> .....We need a proper incineration-based system like they have elsewhere.



What do you mean by "a proper" system ?

Would you be happy to have a large incinerator near where you live ?


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## T McGibney (10 Jul 2017)

MrEarl said:


> Would you be happy to have a large incinerator near where you live ?



Well there's already an animal waste incinerator a few hundred yards from my home, where BSE-infected carcasses and other lovely stuff is burned away. It stinks like hell at times too.  Does that mean my opinions here count for more?

For what it's worth, incinerators should always be located in areas of high population as this ensures proper regulation and monitoring of their environmental effects.  There is one bang in the centre of Vienna.


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## Leo (10 Jul 2017)

MrEarl said:


> No harm saying it to the offenders, if you happen to see them dumping their rubbish in the wrong bins



Oh, I've done that and received looks as if I had two heads!!


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## MrEarl (10 Jul 2017)

Leo said:


> Oh, I've done that and received looks as if I had two heads!!



If at first you don't succeed......... 




T McGibney said:


> Well there's already an animal waste incinerator a few hundred yards from my home, where BSE-infected carcasses and other lovely stuff is burned away. It stinks like hell at times too.  Does that mean my opinions here count for more?



No, it does not mean your opinion counts for more but it does mean that you've effectively answered my question 

I would imagine the smell gets into your clothes while doing laundry, gets into all of the rooms in your house, then there's the flies etc.  In my view, this will discourage potential buyers if and when you go to sell your house (so I hope it was factored into your negotiations, when you purchased ).  

For what it's worth, incinerators should always be located in areas of high population as this ensures proper regulation and monitoring of their environmental effects.  There is one bang in the centre of Vienna.[/QUOTE]

I do not agree with you. 

By all means, logistics should be considered but thereafter, keep them as far away from the more densely populated areas as possible.  There is no reason why regulation and monitoring should be dependent on where the incinerator is located.  Why put people through unnecessary discomfort (such as bad smells, more flies and who knows what else) when we don't have to ?


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## T McGibney (10 Jul 2017)

MrEarl said:


> I would imagine the smell gets into your clothes while doing laundry, gets into all of the rooms in your house, then there's the flies etc.   In my view, this will discourage potential buyers if and when you go to sell your house (so I hope it was factored into your negotiations, when you purchased ).



The smell is rarely if ever that bad. Flies for whatever reason are never ever an issue. We've no plans ever to sell so that doesn't worry us at all. Other houses nearer the place have sold without undue difficulty in the past.



MrEarl said:


> > For what it's worth, incinerators should always be located in areas of high population as this ensures proper regulation and monitoring of their environmental effects.  There is one bang in the centre of Vienna.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Because if incineration plants adhere to basic standards, smells, flies and other discomforts are not an issue. They only ever are when some geezer cuts corners to save money.

And if you're in a densely populated area where the effects of even the slightest breach will be noticed by many people, that will serve as a powerful incentive not to cut such corners.


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## Steven Barrett (10 Jul 2017)

Had to empty out the recycling bin on Saturday and take out all the glass bottles that I always presumed were allowed. Brought them to the recycling centre in Ballyogan where I see they also take "soft" plastics too. 

I also remember Panda sending out a notice that they take small electrical items but that is now on their Don't list...except they never notified us of this change. 

Does anyone know the reason for these companies not taking items that are obviously recyclable? 


Steven
www.bluewaterfp.ie


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## Cervelo (10 Jul 2017)

SBarrett said:


> Had to empty out the recycling bin on Saturday and take out all the glass bottles that I always presumed were allowed.



Steven, Panda in DLRCC allow you put glass in the green bin, I know their website says you can't but in DLRCC we are allowed.


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## odyssey06 (10 Jul 2017)

I think I read that there are no bottle banks in Dublin 1? 

Suggestions 

All bin companies and county councils should be mandated by central government to take glass bottles in the green bin.
Or, like the French approach every area\parish should have one. 

Or, every shop selling alcohol over a certain size should be obliged to take them.
This will cut out unnecessary car trips to bottle banks, and would have to help reduce the amount of glass ending up either (a) on side of road or (b) in black bins.


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## Steven Barrett (10 Jul 2017)

Cervelo said:


> Steven, Panda in DLRCC allow you put glass in the green bin, I know their website says you can't but in DLRCC we are allowed.



Just gave Panda a call and they said while they do accept glass in DLRCC, it is being phased out and they advise against putting glass in the green bin (of course they do!). I asked why they don't accept glass and they said it is too hard to separate it from the other recyclable materials. 


Steven 
www.bluewaterfp.ie


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## MrEarl (10 Jul 2017)

SBarrett said:


> ....I asked why they don't accept glass and they said it is too hard to separate it from the other recyclable materials.



I actually would have expected them to say that it's because they are afraid glass items will get broken and become dangerous for their staff when sorting etc. I think that would be quite reasonable in fairness.


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## Sue Ellen (18 Jul 2017)

I see e-mails are going out from Greyhound confirming renewal of set price contracts for August and in my relative's case it is €18.50 as opposed to €17.00 per month.  In case anyone misses it the sneaky asterisk paragraph reads as follows:

**Fair usage policy: In line with industry standard practice a fair usage policy applies. Each month an allowance of 42kg is applied to your general waste bin after which you will be charged 30cent/ kg (but only for additional kg's above 42). Ninety percent of customers who actively use their brown bin use less than the 42kg allowance.*


Looking at this person's Bin Collection History this would drive their bill up a lot and this is for an OAP living alone who does recycle a lot.


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## odyssey06 (18 Jul 2017)

Sue Ellen said:


> I see e-mails are going out from Greyhound confirming renewal of set price contracts for August and in my relative's case it is €18.50 as opposed to €17.00 per month.  In case anyone misses it the sneaky asterisk paragraph reads as follows:
> **Fair usage policy: In line with industry standard practice a fair usage policy applies. Each month an allowance of 42kg is applied to your general waste bin after which you will be charged 30cent/ kg (but only for additional kg's above 42).*



I had a look at June 2016, there were actually 3 general waste collections in my area that month. You would expect two. The allowance should be per collection...
Need to see if I can figure out when next month of 5 thursdays is... possibly March 2018.


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## Sue Ellen (18 Jul 2017)

Was quite surprised that they can get away with renewing these contracts in light of the media coverage saying that they would no longer be allowed.  In light of the fact that there were no weight restrictions originally this is quite sneaky really.  No regulator of course for quite some time so lots of profit to be made especially for those who get caught out with the asterisk paragraph.

Overall I see trouble ahead as people's bills seem destined to increase quite a lot.


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## Delboy (18 Jul 2017)

Greyhound have increased my standing charge by 25% to €19.50 per month, flat rate.

And yes, the * mention at the bottom of the email about fair usage of 42kg. Hadn't noticed that before. But this only applies if you go on their fair usage offer...it gives you a lower monthly rate of €16.50 but has that weight restriction.
I had 2 black bin lifts in June which came to 65.5kg. So I'd be hit with an extra €6.75 for the month if I went with that option.

And if it takes 2 more years for the Regulator to come in, I expect prices to continue to increase by 20%+ per year. And then a more Irish 5% or so per year as set by the Regulator after extensive review of the industry!


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## Sue Ellen (18 Jul 2017)

Delboy said:


> And yes, the * mention at the bottom of the email about fair usage of 42kg. Hadn't noticed that before. *But this only applies if you go on their fair usage offer...it gives you a lower monthly rate of €16.50 but has that weight restriction.*



Hi Delboy,

I don't see that offer anywhere of switching to the €16.50 monthly rate and fair usage offer.
Can you link to it please as I'm probably missing it?

Their website shows €18.50 p.m. and weight restriction appears to apply to this:

https://greyhound.ie/pricing-options-plans/

and e-mail received appears to show the weight restriction applying to the €18.50 charge too:

*Recycle More & Pay Less

Dear Customer,*

We would like to advise you that your service plan will renew on XXXX August 2017.
Your price plan for the next twelve months is *€18.50* *per month.  To ensure collection in August please make sure payment is made before XXXX August 2017. Click here for ways to pay.

Please see our *online direct debit mandate form*. Simply complete this form online and submit it to ensure continuity of service.









Households who actively use their brown bin create over
*25%* less black bin waste.

Actively separating your compostable waste highlights the amount of food we are buying and not using. The greatest saving you can make is to avoid waste to begin with. The EPA state that the average Irish Household is binning between *€400-€1,000 worth of food waste each year.*

There are numerous links to websites that help consumers use their brown bins. A recent initiative on brown bin use can be found at: foodwasteforum.ie
* 

*
Dublin City Councils bye laws state that the use of the Brown (bio waste) bin should be prioritised over all other bins & that bins should not weigh more than 40kg.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you in advance for your continued support and custom. If there is anything you would like to tell us about our service, but don't have time to call, please send an email to feedback@greyhound.ie.

Best Wishes,
The Greyhound Household Team.

*Fair usage policy: In line with industry standard practice a fair usage policy applies. Each month an allowance of 42kg is applied to your general waste bin after which you will be charged 30cent/ kg (but only for additional kg's above 42). Ninety percent of customers who actively use their brown bin use less than the 42kg allowance.


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## Cervelo (18 Jul 2017)

Is 42Kg a month not enough ??

In 2015 my total weight for the Black bin was 31kg and 26kg for 2016
My Brown bin was 187Kg for 2015 and 317kg for 2016
I dont have a weight for our Green bin as Panda dont supply it yet but it goes out every 2nd week full


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## Sue Ellen (18 Jul 2017)

Sue Ellen said:


> Hi Delboy,
> 
> I don't see that offer anywhere of switching to the €16.50 monthly rate and fair usage offer.
> Can you link to it please as I'm probably missing it?



Think I figured it out  you were referring to Thorntons and I was talking about Greyhound

http://thorntons-recycling.ie/domestic/customer-signup/


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## Delboy (18 Jul 2017)

No, I was referring to Greyhound.
I'll post some of the email they sent me on this in the morning.

Edit- here's some of the email


> Dear Customer,
> 
> We would like to advise you that your service plan will renew on 1st August 2017.
> 
> ...


The * refers to the 42kg limits mentioned earlier


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## Sue Ellen (20 Jul 2017)

Hi Delboy,

Thanks for the reply, sorry for not replying sooner but I had missed the 'edit' being the 'doh' that I am 

Hard to figure out exactly where Greyhound are going with their different prices.  They didn't offer any discount to my relative and the rate is €18.50 plus the fair usage charge.

So am I right in thinking that for €19.50 they might be able to avail of a flat rate with no weight restriction?  If that's the case I'll tell them to give Greyhound a call tomorrow to haggle.  If it is available to them it looks a far cheaper option.


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## Cervelo (21 Jul 2017)

Couple of questions

when Panda empty your bin, it's weighed but when they lift 2 bins at the same time is each bin weighed seperatly or the 1 weight divided between the 2 ??

Panda have informed Steven that they are phasing out the glass collection in DLRCC but I was under the impression that when appling for the tender Panda & Greenstar had to provide a glass colection ??


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## Nordkapp (21 Jul 2017)

Cervelo said:


> Couple of questions
> 
> when Panda empty your bin, it's weighed but when they lift 2 bins at the same time is each bin weighed seperatly or the 1 weight divided between the 2 ??
> 
> Panda have informed Steven that they are phasing out the glass collection in DLRCC but I was under the impression that when appling for the tender Panda & Greenstar had to provide a glass colection ??



The sensor in your bin under the lifting point is matched to your household account. It is obviously programmed to match the weight before tipping less the weight after tipping to your account to record the households waste. I presume there are two weighting scales (left and right) on the truck.


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## Leo (21 Jul 2017)

Nordkapp said:


> I presume there are two weighting scales (left and right) on the truck.



Yes, the two arms operate and weigh independently.


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## Cervelo (21 Jul 2017)

Leo said:


> Yes, the two arms operate and weigh independently.


 
The Panda truck I was watching this morning had one swing arm that lifts 1 or 2 bins but not independently 
I presume the scales is calibrated by Panda and then independently check by weights and measure every so often ??


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## Delboy (21 Jul 2017)

Sue Ellen said:


> So am I right in thinking that for €19.50 they might be able to avail of a flat rate with no weight restriction?  If that's the case I'll tell them to give Greyhound a call tomorrow to haggle.  If it is available to them it looks a far cheaper option.


I have a feeling they might have different price plans for different customers...most likely depending on how long your with them and your legacy plans, maybe also to do with locations?
But yes, my deal is €19.50 and no weight restrictions and seems to be for the next 12 months. Although the ads on the radio from the Dept of the Env saying 'pay by weight is here and flat rates are gone' has me confused.


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## Sue Ellen (21 Jul 2017)

Delboy said:


> I have a feeling they might have different price plans for different customers...most likely depending on how long your way them and your legacy plans, maybe also to do with locations?
> *But yes, my deal is €19.50 and no weight restrictions and seems to be for the next 12 months. Although the ads on the radio from the Dept of the Env saying 'pay by weight is here and flat rates are gone' has me confused.*



Thanks for reply.  Definitely confusing in light of Dept of Env statement.  Sooner the better Regulator is appointed.

Relative rang them this morning and was very disappointed to be told that the only option available to them is the €18.50 and Fair Usage charge which at times would make it expensive.


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## messyleo (21 Jul 2017)

Anyone know how this will affect those with communal bins e.g. apartments? I presume they will weigh the communal bins also now?


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## Nordkapp (21 Jul 2017)

Cervelo said:


> Is 42Kg a month not enough ??
> 
> In 2015 my total weight for the Black bin was 31kg and 26kg for 2016
> My Brown bin was 187Kg for 2015 and 317kg for 2016
> I dont have a weight for our Green bin as Panda dont supply it yet but it goes out every 2nd week full



Ours would be 28kg to 36kg per month through careful management, left to other household members, it would easily double.


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## Delboy (21 Jul 2017)

42kg is definitely not enough when you have 2 in nappies!
And believe me, we recycle all that we can and use the brown bin as much as possible also


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## Up Rovers (26 Jul 2017)

Delboy said:


> I have a feeling they might have different price plans for different customers...most likely depending on how long your with them and your legacy plans, maybe also to do with locations?
> But yes, my deal is €19.50 and no weight restrictions and seems to be for the next 12 months. Although the ads on the radio from the Dept of the Env saying 'pay by weight is here and flat rates are gone' has me confused.



Greyhound confirmed on phone that they looked at people's usage and based their new rate on their usage and this was done to encourage people to use both green and brown bins more often.  Despite the fact that people may have been with them for years, if they are slotted onto the €18.50 rate + fair usage this is the same as new customers are charged, so much for loyalty.  As you have said if they are so worried about encouraging people to use their green and brown bins why have they set up a preferential rate of €19.50 with no weight restriction at all.

Where they are going to make a lot of money is where there will be 3 collections in one month and this appears to happen twice a year so their Fair Usage clause and the weight restriction applying per month will be a handy few bob for them.

Interesting to see also that SDCC handed over the contract for Ballymount recycle centre to Panda and prices are increasing.  Some of the increase will apply to recycle material which just does not make sense


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## IrishGunner (8 Aug 2017)

Just wondering to users living in the Dublin area have they shopped around with for waste. We are currently with Greyhound and we have Black, Green and Brown bin. We recycle everything and very rarely put the black bin out. However this will change soon as we have new born coming soon so could be more in the black bin.

Just wondering if they are all the same in relation to prices, give or take or is there much in the difference before I start researching on them


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## Delboy (8 Aug 2017)

I found very little difference between the operators in my area. Greyhound came out cheapest because I seem to be on some sort of loyalty rate for being with them for so long.
Remarkable how all the prices are so similar...and even their proposed new prices last year before they backed down were all so similar. Truly remarkable


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## Leo (8 Aug 2017)

IrishGunner said:


> Just wondering to users living in the Dublin area have they shopped around with for waste. We are currently with Greyhound and we have Black, Green and Brown bin. We recycle everything and very rarely put the black bin out. However this will change soon as we have new born coming soon so could be more in the black bin.
> 
> Just wondering if they are all the same in relation to prices, give or take or is there much in the difference before I start researching on them



I'm in a similar position, recycle everything possible and have a home composter, so only put the black bin out a few times each year. I'm with Thorntons on the per-lift plan: €50 annual fee & €9.90 per black bin (max 40kg).


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## dub_nerd (9 Aug 2017)

One of the problems is there's no reliable way of comparing. I don't about the other operators but Panda don't even publish their prices on their website, which is pretty scandalous in itself. Combine that with the fact that operators charge different amounts for different areas, and as one poster points out their may be loyalty discounts or combo discounts for availing of service bundles, fair usage limits etc. etc. The only price comparison I've seen is the one on this site.


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## Cervelo (9 Aug 2017)

Panda in the DLRCC area charge me,
Yearly Service Charge: €64
Black Bin Lift: €3.20
Black Bin Waste: €0.277 per Kg
Brown Bin Lift: €2.56
Brown Bin Waste: €0.16 per Kg
Green bin including glass is free

All prices are ex vat @ 13.5%


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## IrishGunner (9 Aug 2017)

Ok rang around and I am living on the Northside of Dublin and the only option that I have is Greyhound, my current supplier. Thorntons,Panda, Green star none of them serve my area. Anyone know of others whom supply Dublin I can contact?

Thorntons chargers are €50 annual charge and €9.90 for black bin and €4.90 for brown. Did not write down the excess charges but its on their website I think

Greyhound annual charge €80 and then €10 for black bin and €3.60 for brown

Crazy other companies don't service my area?


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## Leo (9 Aug 2017)

IrishGunner said:


> Thorntons chargers are €50 annual charge and €9.90 for black bin and €4.90 for brown. Did not write down the excess charges but its on their website I think



Thornton's excess:   





> Excess charges of €0.20 per kg over 40kg per lift


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## Leo (9 Aug 2017)

IrishGunner said:


> Crazy other companies don't service my area?



Here's DCC's full list of service providers. Might be one or two you haven't tried. Looking around your area on bin day should give you an idea if there are any of the others operating there.


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## IrishGunner (9 Aug 2017)

Cheers for the link its only Citybin that service our area also and they charge per month or per annum and not worth the cost.

Ok next bin day collection I will keep an eye out


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## dub_nerd (9 Aug 2017)

Cervelo said:


> Panda in the DLRCC area charge me,
> Yearly Service Charge: €64
> Black Bin Lift: €3.20
> Black Bin Waste: €0.277 per Kg
> ...



Just wondering -- what do you mean by "green bin including glass". Panda's website says you can't put glass in their green bin.


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## Cervelo (9 Aug 2017)

dub_nerd said:


> Just wondering -- what do you mean by "green bin including glass". Panda's website says you can't put glass in their green bin.



In DLRCC we are allowed to put glass in the green bin, afaik it was something DLRCC put in the contracts to the refuse companies when waste collections went private


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## dub_nerd (9 Aug 2017)

Cervelo said:


> In DLRCC we are allowed to put glass in the green bin, afaik it was something DLRCC put in the contracts to the refuse companies when waste collections went private


That's what I thought too up until recently. I'm in DLRCC too, using Panda, and their website says the following _cannot_ go in your green bin:

_"Glass - General refuse - Food waste - Green or Garden waste - Wet waste - Nappies - Polystyrene - Wallpaper - Aeroboard / Styrofoam - Plastic film/bags - Plastic food wrappings"_

https://www.panda.ie/household/what-can-i-put-in-my-bin.html


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## Cervelo (9 Aug 2017)

I have a letter from Panda that says
"You may not be aware yet of the fact you may place all your glass bottles and jars in our green bin as panda have perfected the art of recovering this glass along with the rest of the meterial in your green bin. So no more trips to the bottle banks required from here on."

The letter is from late in 2010 after they had purchased the business from DLRCC, I have not recieved any notification from Panda since that you can't put glass in the green bin,
In fact Steven in an earlier post said he rang them and confirmed that they do at the moment accept glass in the green bin from the DLRCC area.
I know what the website says but if you call them they will comfirm what I'm saying


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## dub_nerd (9 Aug 2017)

Thanks Cervelo, that is certainly good to know. I have a pile of glass that I've been saving to bring to the bottle bank. It's a pity their website is contradictory, but then their website is rubbish (no pun intended) in several other respects too.


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## Delboy (25 Jun 2018)

Greyhound have been in contact to say that my flat rate contract won't be renewed and I'm now on pay by weight.
There's a monthly price increase also, to €20.95 (it was €15.50 only 18 months ago).

Based on my weights for the past 12 months, I'm looking at an extra €4 per month on top of the €20.95. So a 60% rise for my household in 18 months.
No allowances given for larger families, people with special needs etc. 1 size fits all.

Each month's 42kg is standalone, so no credit given in a subsequent month if you were under the weight limit the previous month.

And there's no regulator in place yet so I reckon the waste companies will increase prices as a rapidly as they can in the next year or so to before his/her appointment.


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## odyssey06 (25 Jun 2018)

Delboy said:


> Each month's 42kg is standalone, so no credit given in a subsequent month if you were under the weight limit the previous month. And there's no regulator in place yet so I reckon the waste companies will increase prices as a rapidly as they can in the next year or so to before his/her appointment.



Watch out for the months where there are 3 black bin collections... catches people out for whom 2 bins wouldn't exceed 42kg.


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