A ban on using plastic bin bags for rubbish collection in Dublin's south inner city has come into force today.

Residents and businesses on 90 streets in the south city centre will no longer be able to use plastic bin bags for rubbish collection.

The ban will affect a number of properties around Grafton Street and Temple Bar.

City centre premises that did not have enough space for wheelie bins were previously allowed to leave out plastic bin bags for collection.

However, from today, residents and businesses will face fines of €150 if they continue to put rubbish in plastic sacks.

Since announcing the ban in September, only 30% of properties have switched to bin collection alternatives, such as wheelie bins or larger refuse bins.

Bin bags on Grafton Street, Dublin, Alamy.

The ban is part of Dublin City Council's three pillar plan to reduce litter.

The streets affected in this initial phase of the plastic bag ban include, but are not limited to, Aungier Street, Baggot Street Lower, Chatham Street, College Green, Dame Street, Exchequer Street, Fleet Street, Grafton Street, Kildare Street, Molesworth Street, Nassau Street, Parliament Street, St. Stephen's Green and Temple Bar.

When the strategy to tackle litter was announced, the former Lord Mayor of Dublin James Geoghegan said city-centre business owners have been permitted to use plastic bins "for too long".

"The shop or the restaurant closes and the plastic bag of waste is left in front of the premises to be demolished by a seagull," he said.

"A recent issue has also emerged with plastic bags being ripped open by people looking for containers that can be brought to machines to collect the deposit on.

"The effect of this strategy in the short term is that commercial premises along Dawson Street, Grafton Street down to George’s Street and Temple Bar will no longer be able to present their waste in plastic bags."

It is expected that the plastic bin bag will extend to the north inner city later this year.