Remember when we were laughing at the New York mayor for demonstrating how to put a rubbish bag in a wheelie bin this summer? Well, Dublin can't mock him anymore: the Irish capital has just introduced a 'bin bag ban' for 90 city centre streets, partially ending a 2016 derogation allowing them to be left on the curbside. The move is part of a new strategy to make the city cleaner. In derogation areas, bin bags are often ripped apart by animals or people, making it harder to keep streets clean.

But the real problem lies elsewhere. Dublin is the only EU capital where waste collection is entirely privatised. Bin collection was once controlled by Dublin City Council but was handed over to private companies in 2012 as the public authority was operating at a loss.

Compared with other European cities where local authorities usually provide one service, Dublin has nine different companies collecting rubbish, earning it the nickname ”wild west” of Europe for waste management.

To avoid paying the monthly fee, certain households illegally dump their bin bags in the streets, leaving cleanup costs to local councils. In addition, 23% of households do not have a waste collection service at all. The noise and pollution involved in having multiple bin trucks driving down your street during the day only add to the issue.