Dumping at Watergrasshill bottle banks
Dumping around the bottle banks located at the back of The Hut Bar in Watergrasshill came to light last week as the issue was shared online.
It is understood that a number of bags filled with empty glass bottles and cans were left discarded in front of the bottle banks, despite signs posted on the bottle banks that warn against doing so, and the associated fines that may be issued.
One local described the issue as ‘disgraceful’ and asked that the public take home their bottles if the banks are full.
Local councillor Sheila O’Callaghan noted that the problem is a ‘ regular occurrence’ as people continue to leave bags filled with empty bottles behind them at these sites.
“There is a number and an email on the bottle bank which you have to call when the banks are full, but people seem to ignore this,
“People go for a walk with their bag of bottles and when they see that the bank is full, they’re not going to continue on their walk with the bag so they just leave it there,” Cllr O’Callaghan said.
According to the councillor, the problem has increased since the lockdowns began due to an increase in people now staying at home.
“People would normally be going out to a restaurant or pub, but they can’t now so they’re wining and dining at home, so you can understand how the bottle banks fill up,” Cllr O’Callaghan added.
A spokesperson for Cork County Council informed TheAvondhu that the Watergrasshill bottle bank site is currently serviced fortnightly by a contractor.
“The site is inspected by a litter warden once a week. No litter fines have been issued in the past month,” the spokesperson said.