Donegal County Council has been urged to introduce solar compacting bins to address waste problems in Letterkenny.
The smart technology bins are solar-powered to press down waste to hold ten times more waste than ordinary bins. They also contain sensors to alert the operator when it needs emptying.
Cllr Jimmy Kavanagh told the Letterkenny-Milford Municipal District that the benefits of the bins would outweigh the cost. Compacting bins are approximately €8,000 per unit.
Cllr Kavanagh said he has received countless calls about the lack of bins in Letterkenny, of bins overflowing, bins being turned over and public bins being used for domestic waste.
“Just yesterday, someone sent me a photo of the bin in the new Linear Park, overflowing right in front of the council offices,” Cllr Kavanagh told the council.
Letterkenny Linear Park
Cllr Kavanagh said that Ballyboe Park in particular needs bins installed. He suggested this community park as a good starting point to pilot a solar compacting bin. The smart bins, he said, are not just being used in cities, but have been successful in Carrick-on-Shannon and elsewhere.
There are over 60 bins on the streets in Letterkenny in addition to the bins that are in the town park. While the council has no funding available for the provision or servicing of additional bins, the executive said that a review can be carried out to establish the appropriate location for solar bins if funding was to become available.
Cllr Kavanagh called on the council to review its current bin stock, commenting that there are too many open-ended bins which leave them open to being tipped over or having black domestic waste bags put into them.
“Sixty bins is a lot, maybe we need to look at the location and the type of bins and review the entire thing.”
Cllr Gerry McMonagle fully supported the call for solar compacting bins, adding that the lack of bins in the town has been raised numerous times over the years.
