Waste collection services should be renationalised following the decision of Panda to introduce charges for compost bins, a Fine Gael councillor has said. 

Panda is one of the largest waste collection providers in Ireland and from May 8th will charge customers for putting food waste into their compost bins. 

Customers will be charged €3.80 for each compost bin lift and Cllr Alan Tobin believes it is an example of why public ownership should be considered. 

“I would be seriously in favour and I think a lot of councillors would be in favour of the State taking back over the collection of waste,” he told Lunchtime Live. 

“I suppose that’s to weed out bogus collectors and it would also be to make sure we have control over what is going where essentially.” 

In his spare time, Cllr Tobin likes to pick up litter in his constituency and he feels public ownership would mean more accountability. 

“An awful lot of that [litter] would have chemicals and oils and asbestos and thinks like that leaking into waterways and, ultimately, into drinking sources and other like that,” he said. 

“If it was under State control… you would have some sort of traceability of where waste is going and that if it’s under a national collection service, people wouldn’t be tempted to throw it away here and there.” 

AJ4PR1 litter piled up next to a street litter only green wheelie bin by a fence on the pier Galway city

Panda customer Aoife said she was so unhappy with the charge she is considering changing providers. 

“I’ve seen it on the news this morning - they didn’t actually confirm with customers directly,” she said. 

“So, I was kind of surprised by it that they hadn’t sent out a correspondence about it. 

“I think I’ll be going elsewhere; I know it’s only a couple of quid for a lift but, at the same time, we’re in a cost of living crisis and every little penny saved is a help.

“It’s just going to encourage people to dump their food into the general waste bin.”

Main image: Wheelie bins.