Dublin based bin company Greyhound Recycling has said it intends to keep serving areas where its crew members have been abused by some locals.
A spokesman said the vast majority of its customers were “decent people” and he said every effort would be made to keep collecting refuse, while at the same time having due regard to the safety of workers.
Videos posted online by Greyhound Recycling during the week appear to show its crews being physically and verbally abused as people approach the lorries collecting green bin recyclable materials, and hurl black bags into the lorries.
In one instance a blonde woman appears to strike a worker a number of times as she follows him to his lorry cab. A number of other people stand watching. In other scenes groups of people block the route of the bin lorry and prevent it reversing, while in other scenes people emerge from homes bringing black bags and flinging them into the lorries.
In one instance a person comes into view with a supermarket trolly carrying black bags.
The spokesman said the black bags were being flung into bin lorries which were collecting green bin waste. He said such bags could contaminate a whole lorryload of recyclables, which if continued, could damage the economic case for the round.
The areas in which the videos were recorded were not being revealed by Greyhound Recycling but reflected on screen were verdant lawns, green open spaces and semi-detached houses set back from the road with low walls and some gates.
Greyhound Recycling has already asked the gardaí for help to protect staff. The spokesman said rocks had been thrown at workers on the lorries and some staff found the presence of crowds very intimidating.
The spokesman said the bin charges in Dublin were among the lowest in the State, and therefore among the lowest across Europe.
He said the issue of an ESB customer not paying an electricity bill or a phone customer not paying for line rental was “an individual thing with implications for that account holder” but when it came to waste “the problem becomes one for the whole neighbourhood” as bags were left on the street and even in neighbours’ bins.
But in relation to withdrawal of service, the spokesman said the company was committed to providing a service to the vast majority of its customers who were happy to pay for it and who behaved responsibly.
The spokesman said he was hoping that community pressure, gardaí or TDs may bring good influence to bear on the problem.
