Gardaí (Irish police) said officers in Ronanstown are investigating “all of the circumstances” surrounded the discovery of the body of Andrew Haire shortly after 9pm on 24 July 2026.
Haire has since been formally identified, while a Family Liaison Officer has been appointed to support his relatives.
According to Irish broadcaster RTÉ, the results of a post-mortem examination have been inconclusive, meaning the cause of death has not yet been established.
It is understood that gardaí suspect Haire may have climbed into a bin before it was collected and transported to the recycling facility, which is operated by Greyhound Recycling.
Reports have indicated that he did not appear to have sustained severe injuries from the compaction or recycling process.
Life-threatening risks of seeking shelter in bins
The incident follows a number of warnings from waste operators and charities about the potentially life-threatening risks faced by people who shelter inside waste containers.
In December last year, waste management company Grundon partnered with homelessness charity Crisis to launch a campaign aimed at raising awareness of the dangers of sleeping in bins.
The organisations said the campaign was prompted by rising levels of rough sleeping, with Crisis estimating that more than 300,000 people across Great Britain are experiencing the most severe forms of homelessness.
They also highlighted government figures showing rough sleeping in England has increased by 91% since 2021.
Grundon and Crisis urged members of the public who believe someone may be taking refuge in a bin to contact StreetLink, which connects people sleeping rough in England and Wales with local support services.
In June, an incident in Bristol saw a member of the public discovered inside a waste container after it had been emptied into a refuse vehicle during a collection round in the St Paul’s area of the city.
The incident reinforced longstanding warnings from waste operators that people sheltering in bins face significant risks during collection and processing, with operators continuing to encourage the public to report concerns where it is safe to do so.
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