A long-awaited Dublin City Council waste compacting scheme is being rolled out on a phased basis in the south inner city of Fownes Street Upper and St Stephen's Green.
New waste compactors have been installed in both areas, covering 90 streets, which should remove around 1,000 plastic bags from the streets every day.
The council said the end result will be a ''cleaner, healthier environment'' in the capital.
In the initial pilot phase, the compactors are available for everyone in the pilot area to use, including businesses and residents, who are banned from leaving rubbish bags at the kerbside for collection.
''With increased enforcement, more staff, and new technologies like these waste compactors, the necessary infrastructure is in place. Now, it's time for every one of us to take personal responsibility and help keep our city clean. We are committed to a cleaner Dublin, and this is a major step forward," said Chief Executive of Dublin City Council Richard Shakespeare.
The new compactors will be used alongside 3,500 bins to enforce the message that there are ''no more excuses for littering in Dublin".
Lord Mayor of Dublin Councillor Ray McAdam described the introduction of the waste compactors as a ''game-changer''.
He said it will removing a significant amount of waste from our streets. ''We are investing in a cleaner, more sustainable Dublin, but this is a partnership, so we ask every resident, business, and visitor to do their part and help us make a real difference," Mr McAdam said.
Businesses have been reminded of their legal responsibility to keep the areas outside their premises clean and free of waste and are encouraged to sign up to Dublin City Council's Waste Charter.
By signing up, businesses will receive an information pack, outlining their responsibilities under the by-laws, downloadable cleaning rota forms and a new graphic they can display in their premises that enables businesses to proudly align themselves with the mission.
Dublin is a persistent litter hot spot, according to the annual survey from Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL).
The 2025 survey revealed that Dublin's north inner city ranked bottom alongside Cork city's northside as "seriously littered".
However, this pilot scheme is initially focused on the south inner city with plans to expand the scheme further on a phased basis over the coming months.
Derek Kelly, Executive Manager, Environment and Transportation, Dublin City Council, added: "Dublin City Council has made significant investments in staff, vehicles, cleaning zones and enforcement. There are more bins, extra staff and expanded cleaning zones than ever before. The systems are in place, and the excuses are gone. It is now up to everyone who lives in, works in, and visits Dublin to take personal responsibility and dispose of their litter properly. Dublin belongs to all of us, and it is up to all of us to keep it clean."
Dublin City council has partnered with two private waste collection companies Key Green and Panda to deliver the scheme.
The council is facilitating the waste compactors by allocating street space and electrical connections to power the units.
The dimensions of the compactors are 4m long, 2m wide and 2m high, roughly about the size of a van.
