Waste company Panda is to start charging for its green recycling bin from next month.

The company is blaming the move on recent Chinese ban on the importing of certain types of waste - including types of plastic - from European countries.

Under Panda's new rates, households will pay 80 cents per lift and just under 5 cents for every kilo - with the company suggesting the average cost per customer will be around €21 per year.

Des Crinion, chief executive of Panda Recycling, explained: "Unfortunately China had been the biggest taker of recycled material in the world - not just Ireland, but the world.

"Over the last year, they have indicated that they don't want the world's recycling material anymore, they want to encourage their own recycling. Basically no plastic is going to China if it's not processed at the moment."

He also suggested that while China took in 46 million tonnes of recycled paper last year, they've taken in less than two million tonnes so far this year.

On the company's new charge, Mr Crinion observed: "It's been a very difficult decision to put this charge on to the recycle bin, but it's something we feel we have to do.

"We've a fantastic culture of recycling in Ireland, and the last thing we want to do is discourage people to recycle."

He added: "At the moment, the majority of the material in the green bin... it actually costs us to ask someone to recycle it."

He pledged that the company will not raise the charges for at least five years, saying they're happy they can sustain the new rate - which he described as a 'subsidy to help us continue recycling'.