No Brown Bin…No ‘Pay by Weight’? MUD’s and Management Companies

Three months to go to the introduction of Pay by Weight waste charges, and all householders subject to pay by weight billing will hopefully have received their Brown Bin. The proliferation of Brown Bins outside houses is a welcome sight and will lead to reduced quantities of waste going to landfill. Unfortunately however this is not the case in relation to some apartment complexes, where no Brown Bin is visible among the many bins on display. Recent legislation dictates that these complexes must be furnished with Brown Bins and that the residents must segregate their waste, similar to all householders, and that waste service providers cannot collect waste from these complexes which is contaminated with food waste. Normally in apartment complexes or MUD’s (Multi Unit Developments) service providers provide large 1100 litre communal bins for each waste type. And it has  been confirmed by Mr Sean Dunne of the Department of the Environment that these communal bins will be subject to pay by weight, thus leading to lower waste charges for the residents of such complexes. It would however appear that some waste service providers and  management companies of these complexes are currently not abiding by the legislation and it is hoped that by July 1st they will be doing so if they do not wish to attract the attention of the new Waste Enforcement Regional Lead Authorities (WERLA’s). These WERLA’s  can impose fines on the Management Companies and de facto residents and invalidate the Waste Permit of the Waste Service Provider. So to all those involved in the management and servicing of MUD’s, please ensure that there are Brown Bins available to all your residents and that you have structures in place so as to prevent your waste not being collected and fines being imposed, due to food contamination of recyclables and residual waste.