Council announces trial of dog poop bins in Athlone area

Bins in which bags of dog poop can be dumped are to be introduced by Westmeath County Council but only in the Athlone Municipal area initially, members of the council’s Environment, Climate Action, Water and Emergency SPC learned at their most recent meeting, held online on Friday last.

In addition, segregated waste bins are to be installed at Belvedere House, Park and Gardens in Mullingar and at a location in Athlone – although a final decision on the Athlone site is yet to be made.

Senior engineer Jonathan Deane said the aim of the segregated bins pilot was to see whether the contents of the bins could then go directly into the recycling stream, or whether prior processing was required.

With regard to the dog fouling bins, he said the intention was to install them firstly in some of the amenity areas in Athlone. If that works, similar bins will be installed in Mullingar.

Cllr Hazel Smyth welcomed the two steps and said it sent a message that we all need to segregate our waste.

"This is brilliant news," she said, adding that she really hoped the dog foul bins would be installed in the Mullingar Kinnegad area as she – and her fellow colleagues – were constantly receiving representations on this issue.

Also pleased at the news was Cllr Frank McDermott, chairman of the SPC, but he admitted he foresaw difficulties: "I think there is going to be an enormous challenge trying to educate people," he said.

Explaining, he told the meeting that he had had a dog poop bin installed at Fore, which he personally empties it every Sunday: "And everything known to man is in that bin!" he stated.

Cllr Johnny Penrose asked were dog poop bins to be installed along the greenway, to which the response of Mr Deane was that that decision lay in the hands of the members of the Athlone Municipal District. However, he said, if the bins proved a success, installation would happen in other areas.