€155,000 spent collecting waste during Halloween

THE total amount of waste collected from Halloween bonfires by South Dublin County Council increased to 608 tonnes in 2021, up from 592 tonnes in 2020 with an estimated cost of €155,000.

Despite a decrease in the number of bonfires across the county last Halloween – a total of 180 in comparison to 280 recorded in 2020, it is revealed that it is estimated €155,000 was spent on waste collections before and after Halloween in 2021 by the council.

The clean up of bonfire sites was completed in November, and landscape reinstatement at sites where it is required will take place in spring this year due to the current ground conditions. The estimated cost of €155,000 doesn’t include these reinstatement costs.

In the figures released at a recent council meeting, the pre-Halloween collections show an increase from 2020 in materials intercepted before Halloween, with council crews out collecting material on 13 of the 14 days prior to Halloween night.

The tonnage collected before Halloween in 2020 was 237 tonnes, and this increased to 332 tonnes in 2021. Public Realm crews collected 70 tonnes of bonfire material on Halloween weekend and 33 tonnes of material on the Bank Holiday weekend before Halloween.

The tonnage removed from bonfire sites after Halloween has reduced which is consistent with the number of fires held, according to the council. This figure was 355 tonnes in 2020 and this has decreased to 276 in 2021.