THE DISTRIBUTION of advertising leaflets and other promotional materials in Dublin city centre is to be banned, and takeaway restaurants and pubs are to have new responsibilities in relation to the prevention of litter, under new bylaws from Dublin City Council.
The prevention and control of litter bylaws are being introduced to crack down on businesses seen by the council as generating high volumes of litter, specifically takeaway restaurants, pubs and companies involved in distributing promotional material.
Fines of up to €1,904 could be imposed for not complying with the new bylaws.
Until now takeaways and pubs were required only to ensure that the area in front of their premises was kept litter-free, however the bylaws will force them to clean all litter for 50m each side of their premises.
Takeaways will also have to print their names and addresses on all packaging, including coffee cups and sandwich wrappers, and franchises must print the exact address of the outlet and not a company head office. Pubs will have to install special cigarette bins outside their premises.
Burger and ice-cream vans or any other type of food outlet will be subject to the bylaws. Shops that fall outside either the takeaway or pub categories may be included in the bylaws if the council decides they are generating significant amounts of litter.
"Our experience from both our street cleaning operations and from litter surveys is that take-away premises are very high generators of litter. It is also the case that cigarette litter is a major problem in the vicinity of licensed premises," the council environment department said.
Council street cleaners have also reported an increase in litter generated by leaflets and other promotional items handed out to shoppers on the city streets.
