Lawmakers issue sweeping ban that will have major impact on stores: 'We're aiming ... to have them all gone'

When we consider plastic waste, we normally don't think about the items that are designed to collect that waste and keep it off the streets.

But in Dublin, the city council has started phasing out plastic garbage bags, per The Irish Times. They say the ban is necessary because animals frequently tear these bags apart, leaving loose rubbish behind.

A ban on such bags was originally passed in 2016, but many residents and businesses were excluded from the legislation because their properties were deemed unsuitable for wheeled garbage bins. Since then, those excluded from the ban have been allowed to leave plastic garbage bags on their curb for collection.

Now, starting in the northern part of the city, on-street trash compactors will be installed, eliminating the need for curbside collection. After that, similar compactors will be installed in other parts of the city where large numbers of people still use garbage bags.

"We're aiming for the end of 2026 to have them all gone," Derek Kelly, executive manager of the council's environment division, told the Irish Times. "Things can always get in the way, but that's the hope. We don't want this to continue any longer than is necessary."

Residents will be given key cards or codes to use the compactors, which will otherwise be sealed shut and not available for public use.

With this effort, Dublin will not only reduce the amount of litter on city streets but also drastically cut back on the amount of single-use plastic garbage bags used.

Plastic consumption is one of the biggest issues facing our environment. Plastic manufacturing spews toxic fumes into our atmosphere, which have caused the planet to become significantly warmer.

So much waste is generated from plastic that it's estimated there will be more plastic in our oceans than fish by 2050, according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

And because plastic doesn't biodegrade, it instead breaks down into microplastics, tiny particles that are now in seemingly every inch of the Earth, including human brains.

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