Dublin City Council removes plastic bags from 110 northside streets
Published on 7th May 2026
Dublin City Council is delighted to announce Phase 2 of the removal of plastic waste bags from the streets of the city-centre, with the installation of new waste compactors on Marlborough Place and Loftus Lane in partnership with the waste collectors in Dublin city.
From 11 May, permission to present these bags on the street for collection will be removed from all 110 streets covered in the Phase 2 area (please see map attached). The new compactors will be used to accept waste bags from this Phase 2 area.
The compactors will be available to everyone, including businesses and residents, who are based in the streets covered. Businesses and residents in the pilot area should contact their waste collector to discuss the new options for waste collection.
The introduction of Phase 2 follows the successful roll-out of the initial pilot phase of this initiative, which was launched last December and continues to facilitate the removal of approximately 1,000 plastic bags from 90 streets on the southside each day.
As a result of Phase 1, illegal dumping has reduced by approximately 20 tonnes per month in the Phase 1 area. The City Council also believes Phase 1 has contributed significantly to the very positive findings of the most recent IBAL survey which noted a reduction in littering and improved level of cleanliness, as well as the positive impact of the initiative. These improvements have also delivered savings in terms of resource requirements, as well as collection and disposal costs for waste management services.
Businesses are also being reminded of their legal responsibility to keep the areas outside their premises clean and free of waste and are encouraged to sign up to Dublin City Council’s Waste Charter. Businesses who sign up to the charter will receive an information pack, outlining their responsibilities under the byelaws, downloadable cleaning rota forms and a new graphic they can display in their premises that enables businesses to proudly align themselves with the mission.
Speaking at the launch of the 2 new waste compactors today, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Councillor Ray McAdam, said:
“Celebrating Dublin means respecting Dublin. It means taking pride in our streets, our neighbourhoods and our city centre, and making sure they are clean, welcoming and worthy of the people who live, work, visit and do business here. The removal of plastic waste bags from these 110 northside streets is another important step in cleaning up Dublin. We know from Phase 1 that this approach works. It reduces illegal dumping, improves street cleanliness and helps create a better experience for everyone using the city. With 3,500 city bins and these new compactors, the message is clear: there is no excuse for littering in Dublin. We all have a part to play, residents, businesses, waste operators and the City Council, in keeping our capital city clean. This is about civic pride, shared responsibility and celebrating Dublin by caring for Dublin.”
Richard Shakespeare, Chief Executive, Dublin City Council, said: “Building on the success of the installation of compactors in the south of the city, Dublin City Council are now facilitating their installation in the north of the city. This initiative eliminates the presentation of on-street waste bags in 110 streets within this pilot area, and helps us to deliver a cleaner, more sustainable and litter free city.”
As with Phase 1, we have engaged with the private waste collection operators serving the Phase 2 area. They have agreed to revise their services and will offer similar waste collection options to their customers.
These include:
- Encouraging customers to transition from plastic bags to wheelie bins or euro bins where feasible
- Providing business-to-business collection services, where waste can be presented directly to collection vehicles at designated times
- Installing on-street compactors at Loftus Lane and Marlborough Place for customers who wish to continue using plastic bags
Our Litter Enforcement teams are currently engaging with businesses and residents in the affected area to inform them of the upcoming changes and encourage compliance. They are advising stakeholders to contact their waste service providers to determine the preferred waste collection option. A short transition period will be allowed; however, following this, the bye-laws will be strictly enforced, and non-compliance may result in prosecution.
Derek Kelly, Executive Manager, Climate and Urban Resilience, Dublin City Council, added:
“This project is about making Dublin cleaner, safer and more welcoming for everyone who lives, works, and visits the city. Phase 1 has already delivered real, measurable results, reducing the tonnage of litter collected by the Council each month by around 20 tonnes. As we roll out Phase 2 across a further 110 streets on the northside of the city, we envisage a similar saving, backed by the same partnership approach with waste operators, businesses and residents that has underpinned the success of Phase 1.”
Further announcements will be made regarding future phases of this initiative. A phased approach is being taken across the approximately 900 designated bagged streets citywide. This ensures that waste operators have sufficient time to adapt their services and that residents and businesses can make appropriate arrangements.
With a growing population, rising economic activity and an increase in events across the city, waste management has become more of a challenge. In response the Council introduced a 3-pillar strategy in September 2024 to improve waste management, which includes operational enhancements, increased enforcement and awareness/prevention initiatives.
For more information about Dublin City Council’s waste management initiatives, visit dublincity.ie or follow Facebook | Instagram.
ENDS
Notes:
While the waste collection service is privately operated, Dublin City Council regulates the presentation and storage of waste under the Waste Management (Storage, Presentation and Commercial Waste) Bye-Laws 2018. In line with these bye-laws, it is the Council’s intention to remove the derogation allowing plastic bag presentation on kerbsides in the Phase 2 area from 11 May.
Dublin City Council's 3 Pillar Waste Management Strategy
As a part of this strategy the Council has:
- Recruited 100 extra waste management staff
- Invested in new vehicles to tackle litter
- Expanded the 24-hour cleaning zones
- Removed the ability to present waste in plastic bags from 90 streets
- Facilitated installation of 4 waste compacters in 4 city-centre locations to support the removal of the plastic bags
- Increased the street washing capability with a dedicated night-time street washing team, and a specialised wash vehicle per area and a city-wide rapid response team
- Appointed six new litter wardens including a night patrol service to step up enforcement
- Introduced a Litter Prevention and Awareness Campaign
Pillar 1 looks at Operational Enhancements, Pillar 2 examines Enforcement and Regulation Change, while Pillar 3 deals with a Litter Awareness and Prevention Advertising Campaign.
