New ‘Bagbins’ go on trial in Dublin city centre

A new waste receptacle which aims to eliminate bin bags from Dublin’s streets has gone on trial in the city centre.

Bagbin, a collapsible waste container, protects refuse sacks from being ripped open by seagulls, foxes and vermin and can be used in areas which lack space for the storage of wheelie bins.

Legislation requiring the use of bins instead of bags came into force in 2016, but residents and businesses on more than 1,000 Dublin streets were given an exemption because their properties were unsuitable for wheelie bin storage.

However, Dublin City Council has since been seeking to rid the streets of refuse sacks as they cause "significant litter problems" through "mishandling or interference from vermin and animals" it said.

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It last year sought tenders for “innovative solutions to address the challenge” through a “more secure and reliable form of waste container”.

Owenbridge Ltd, was awarded a contract to trial its Bagbin in the city centre. The bins which came into operation on Drury Street on Tuesday, form a cylindrical shape, with a hinged lid and no bottom when deployed. Users place the bin on the ground and put their bags inside. The waste collector lifts the bin off, collapses it and takes away the bags.

Capacity

Made from polypropylene plastic, the bin has a capacity of 270 litres, compared to a large wheelie bin holds 240 litres. Each bin can accommodate several bags and can be used by multiple retailers, restaurants or other businesses. The bin is marked with the logo of the collector and users select the bin which matches with their waste collector.

When not in use the bins fold flat to a thickness of 20mm and are stored on a lockable on-street post, which can accommodate 10 bins.

Owenbridge managing director John Dunne said in addition to protecting the bags, use of the bin should represent a time saving for collectors. "Instead of having bags in multiple piles up and down the street, the Bagbins will hold several bags in one location, and because each Bagbin is marked with the collector's logo, they won't have to root through a pile of bags to find the ones they need to pick up."

While the bins are currently only in use in Drury Street, it is expected they will be trialled in other areas of the city centre and could later be used in residential streets.

Nicola Graham operations manager with the council's Smart City team said the trial would run for six months.

“During that time it will move to different streets around the city so we can see how it works in different locations, and we can get feedback from people walking by and from the businesses and residents in the area.”

In addition to addressing the litter problem caused when bags are ripped open, it should “reduce the footprint in the public realm” as piles of bags are replaced by lower numbers of bins, she said.

Feeback on the trial can be submitted at bagbin.ie