Madam, – I am a Dublinman, living in Spain for the past few years. There is an almost total absence of litter here. The reason being that on every street, set 100 metres apart, there are large litter containers in groups of four in which we may all put domestic waste, paper, plastic and bottles, respectively. These are emptied at night. Moreover,when I need to get rid of an old fridge, I simply leave it on the footpath outside my house and phone the local authority which comes and removes it free of charge that same day.
This is in stark contrast to the waste removal facilities in Ireland. Almost nothing will fit through the slot in the tiny public litter bins. For domestic refuse, I recall that I had one bin emptied per week. When I needed to get rid of unwanted packaging, an old fridge or garden refuse, I had to either pay someone to take it away or dump it somewhere. I was even charged when I brought refuse to the county council dump. So, I ask, where is the incentive? A reader recently suggested fining the “offenders”. This will work only if they are caught in the act. – Yours, etc,