Smart Bins

Smart Bins

We have been using smart street bins (formerly known as Big Belly bins) across Dún Laoghaire‑Rathdown since 2014. There are currently around 450 large‑capacity smart bins in use across the county.

Smart bins help keep public areas clean and reduce litter. They do this by holding more waste and allowing us to plan collections more efficiently.

We look after smart bins located on public streets, including bins at park entrances, through our Cleansing and Beaches Section.

In large, flagship parks, smart bins are installed and maintained by our Parks Section. These parks include:

• Marlay Park
• Cabinteely Park
• Blackrock Park
• People’s Park

How smart bins work

Each smart bin is connected to an online monitoring system. This system lets us know:

• when a bin is full or nearly full, and
• if there is a fault or maintenance issue that needs attention.

This means we can empty bins when they are needed, rather than following a fixed schedule.

Benefits of smart bins

Smart bins have brought real improvements to how we manage street waste across the county. The main benefits include:

• fewer waste collection vehicles on the road,
• less frequent emptying, as bins can hold more waste,
• touch‑free use through a foot pedal in newer models, and
• external and internal ashtrays.

Requests for new bins

We regularly receive requests for new street bins. We review all requests as part of our annual bin review.

Who can submit a request
Members of the public, elected members, and residents’ associations.

What to include
Please include a specific location, such as the nearest address or Eircode, bus stop, landmark, or a map. Let us know the type of change requested, for example a new bin, re‑installation, relocation, or removal. Any relevant context, such as footfall levels or litter issues, is also helpful.

Where to submit
Requests should be submitted through our Civic Hub by emailing info@dlrcoco.ie.

Annual cut‑off
To be considered in the current year’s Bin Review, we must receive requests by 28 February. Requests received after this date will be considered in the following year’s review.

We assess each request based on a number of factors, including footfall and usage levels, existing litter issues, the number of nearby bins already provided, safety and accessibility, and whether the location can be safely serviced. This helps us make sure bins are installed where they are most effective and appropriate.