Waterford County Council has passed new bye-laws to increase further the uptake of the kerbside collection scheme for dry recyclables, which was introduced in November, 2001.
The bye-laws, which come into force on February 17th, cover the collection, storage and presentation of household waste. They will also apply to householders who have refuse collected by private contractors.
The council said the bye-laws will increase the amount of domestic waste recycled and reduce the amount of reusable material going to landfill sites.
Fines of €31.74 will be imposed on householders who fail to separate recyclable waste and to present it for collection in an appropriately tagged transparent plastic bag.
Household waste presented for collection in refuse sacks or cardboard boxes will be left at the roadside by council staff while waste presented for general collection which is found to include recyclable waste will not be collected. It will also be an offence to present unsorted waste for collection.
The council's director of the Services for Environment and Planning, Mr Denis McCarthy, said that where offences were serious or committed repeatedly, they would initiate court proceedings where fines in the order of €1,200 could be imposed.