Brown bins: Fingal residents charged whether they use them or not

COUNCIL officials have reject­ed complaints from the public that they are being forced to pay for brown bins whether or not they avail of the service.

Residents in the Fingal County Council area recently received letters informing them that a new fixed charge rate for the brown and green bins is being imposed. The annual service will cost €110.

The brown bin system is currently being rolled out across Dublin with the intention of segregating food, vegetation and bio­degradable household waste. But the move has irritated people who do not wish to use the brown bins but are obliged to pay for them anyway.

According to the council, EU law requires member states reach certain recycling targets and the segregation of waste is required to reach these targets.

One resident, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Sunday Tribune when she contacted Fingal council about the new charges she was told she would have to pay them whether or not she used the brown bin.