WASTE COLLECTION COMPANY Greyhound has said the government is responsible for an increase in how much customers will have to pay to have their rubbish taken away.

In an email sent to customers, Greyhound said the government is increasing its levy on landfill disposal by €10 for every tonne.  The company says this is a 15 per cent increase in its business cost, which it is being forced to hand on to customers.

“Unfortunately, this is a tax imposed by the Government of Ireland, on the people of Ireland,” the email said.

Customers will be charged an additional 50c for every black bin collection, beginning on the first day in August.

Other waste collection companies have not yet said whether or not they will be passing on the charge to customers.

Landfill levy rates have increased steadily in recent years, rising from €50 in 2011 to €65 in 2012 and €75 this month, as the government tries to encourage recycling and a move away from using landfills.

Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan told the Dáil that it sends a “further strong price signal to the producers, collectors and managers of waste to deter against unsustainable behaviour.”

“We are very aware of the harsh economic times that we live in and empathise with you during these times,” the email from Greyhound says.

However, we are not immune from Government austerity and you may be aware that from the 1st July, 2013 the Government is increasing its levy on landfill disposal from €65 to €75 per tonne.

We have investigated every way of minimising any increase to you, our customer. The good news is that we are absorbing the first month’s charge and have managed to limit the increase to €.50 per black bin collection.

The company operates in Dublin City, Galway and South County Dublin and says it has 170,000 customers.

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