Bin Companies levying huge fines with no regulation

People already hit with price hikes and fines

TDs claims Waste cartels have a blank cheque from Government to do as they please

People Before Profit TDs Bríd Smith and Gino Kenny told a press conference in Dublin today that the bin companies are robbing people blind with higher charges and fines despite the government’s assurances that prices for waste collection would not increase.

The TDs were joined by residents from Dublin who have been hit with higher charges and fines by waste companies.

As People Before Profit predicted many years ago the privatisation of waste services has led to effective cartels in the waste management industry.

Bin companies like Panda, Greyhound and City Bin are ratchetting prices up in order to maximise their own profits. They hold no regard at all for ordinary people or the environment.

Some have received fines from the Greyhound waste company. The fines relate to “contamination” of green bins but in each case the incident was the placing of material in the residents bin by others while the bin  was on the public path awaiting collection.

In one case a single tea bag placed on top of the green waste  has seen the residents charged 30 euro  and the company have refused to collect the bins  (both black and green ) until the fines are paid in full.

In the last week many other cases are coming to TDs from people similarly affected by fines which cannot be appealed , while the company’s involved are refusing to collect waste pending the payment of those fines.

Deputy Smith said:

“It is abundantly clear that the waste companies do not care one bit about the environment, about recycling or about ordinary people; all they care about is profit maximisation by any means necessary.

“There needs to be a national campaign that will target these companies that are levying these fines and refusing to collect people waste if the people cannot pay the hefty sums demanded. The only way that we can put a stop to this is to build a movement of people power. That is all that they listen to- feet on the streets.”

Gino Kenny TD said:

“We have with us here today the human faces of Fine Gael and Fianna Fail’s disastrous policy which has been to let the waste companies off the leash completely. The privatisation of waste services, which used to be run by the local authorities, has been a total disaster and now ordinary people are facing massive increases in bin charges and exorbitant fines and penalties.”