Residential rubbish collections

Ragnar Lothbrok

Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday morning there are bin collections (three separate companies) in the otherwise quiet road where I live. It seems that every day these collections take place around 6am. I sleep with the window open even during the winter so at this time of year I have all my upstairs windows wide open.

The noise is incredible and wakes me each morning without fail (not that I think for a second they could be any quieter - I'm not blaming the workers for the noise!). Is there a reason the collections take place this early every week? I realise they need to collect early to beat the morning school runs etc but are they not able to change their collection times/routes each week so that the earlier times are shared around? Or could the bin collections begin at 9 and continue on to later in the day?

Also, I'm wondering if there is a legal angle to these early collection times. As far as I know, residential road works aren't allowed to begin before a certain time (either 8 or 9) so why should bin collections? I'm sure if I was to have a house party at that time of day, the Gardaí would quite rightly be called immediately!

irish_goat

I work in waste management and can tell you changing the collection times is a complete balls. People like consistency when it comes to getting their bins emptied and if you do an estate at 1pm this week and then 6am next week you can guarantee half the estate won't have their bins out as they're used to putting them out for 1pm.

Starting at 9 is ok but whilst you miss the morning traffic you'll just end up hitting the afternoon traffic instead. The dangerous nature of bin collections also means that it's best to get as much done as possible whilst people tend not be out and about.

Don't think there's any rules saying it has to be after a certain time either but you could probably argue that the collections should all be on the same day.

Ragnar Lothbrok

irish_goat wrote: »

I work in waste management and can tell you changing the collection times is a complete balls. People like consistency when it comes to getting their bins emptied and if you do an estate at 1pm this week and then 6am next week you can guarantee half the estate won't have their bins out as they're used to putting them out for 1pm.

Starting at 9 is ok but whilst you miss the morning traffic you'll just end up hitting the afternoon traffic instead. The dangerous nature of bin collections also means that it's best to get as much done as possible whilst people tend not be out and about.

Don't think there's any rules saying it has to be after a certain time either but you could probably argue that the collections should all be on the same day.

Cheers irish_goat. I knew there wouldn't be an easy answer (if any answer at all!) I fully appreciate the dangerous nature of the job and I'd always acknowledge that it's a great service provided to the public. I just want to sleep uninterrupted so having a bit of a rant on boards made me feel slightly better

faceman

I think in certain parts of the city bin collections can't be done at certain times. I could be mistaken but I remember it been mentioned on Dublin City FM's Live Drive one day.

L1011

Councils can set time constraints; they're being brought in local to me shortly due to complaints to councillors.

loyatemu

it's a farce to have 3 different companies trundling up and down every street with separate trucks on different days of the week. It's one area where open competition is creating real inefficiency - the council should tender bin services to a single operator.

Meauldsegosha

Check your city bye-laws. In Dublin, for example, different areas have a set day when bins are collected. There are also set times when the bins can be collected, I think in the suburbs bins can be collected between 8am and 10pm, in the city centre it is between 6.30am and midnight.

You could lobby your local Councillor if there are no such restrictions in place.

Ragnar Lothbrok

Contacting a councillor might be a start alright, at least they could tell me if there are any time limits in place.

I wouldn't really mind if it was just one day a week, that's a small price to pay for having all my rubbish and recycling collected, but the three days a week business is just a bit much. I will leave it a few weeks and try keeping a written note of the times they call round.

Alternatively, I could just get monumentally drunk each Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evening so the noise wouldn't wake me at all, although then I'd probably sleep all day and end up getting fired :mad: