Dublin gets underground bottle bank

Ireland’s first underground bottle bank opened in South Dublin this week.

Underground recycling banks are popular in many European countries as they improve accessibility for wheelchair users, and increase the capacity of waste held, helping to prevent overflowing.

Above ground, the recycling banks look the same as any other street recycling bins, with low insert points easily accessible from a wheelchair.

Hidden beneath the bins, however, are huge underground storage facilities.

This keeps unsightly waste away from the public eye, and reduces the possibility that the bins end up overflowing.

Because underground facilities improve wheelchair accessibility, South Dublin County Council was able to apply for a grant from the National Disability Strategy Fund to help pay for the installation.

A spokesperson for the council called the bins another example of the local authority’s up to date waste and recycling strategy.

Residents in South Dublin can recycle their waste at over 58 locations around the borough.

Recycling figures in Ireland for 2007 show that the nation has started taking recycling seriously, with enough recycled waste collected over the year to fill Beijing’s Bird’s Nest stadium.