What goes in your garden waste bin (2024)

FAQs

What can be put in a garden waste bin? ›

Nappies. Plastic films - such as cling film, bread wrappers, crisp packets, biscuit wrappers, vegetable wrappings and magazine wrappings. Hard plastic - such as toys, kitchenware and CD or DVD cases. Wrapping paper and glittery cards and other glittery items.

Please do not put the following in your brown bin: food waste (including vegetable peelings) large branches. large pieces of wood.

Leaves. Hedge trimmings. Flowers. Twigs and branches (maximum 10cm/four inches diameter).

No - do not put any of these in your brown bin or sack

food waste (use the food caddy) greenhouse glass or frame (or any other glass) metal/aluminium foil and cans. paper, card or cardboard.

Please do not pack garden waste too tightly into your bin - the waste should be loose enough for the bin to beemptied easily.

Recycling green waste

Put all grass, leaves, twigs, branches etc. into this bin and leave it to be collected by your bin collection service. As long as you've filled the bin with green waste only, the materials will be taken and then recycled.

Most types of garden waste can be recycled, including bark, flowers, grass and hedge cuttings, leaves, plants, small branches, twigs and weeds. If possible, consider setting up a compost bin to recycle your garden waste at home.

DON'T add meat scraps, bones, grease, whole eggs, or dairy products to the compost pile because they decompose slowly, cause odors, and can attract rodents. DON'T add pet feces or spent cat liter to the compost pile. DON'T add diseased plant material or weeds that have gone to seed.

♻️ Compost your pumpkin (cut in to chunks to aid) either in your compost heap or via your council compost bin. ♻️ If you've kept the seeds they can be planted, why not grow your own pumpkins next year!

Can a garden waste bin be too heavy? ›

Using a few small twigs in the bottom of the bin each time reduces the chance of excessive compaction. If the bin is too heavy it will have a tag placed on it and will not be emptied until the weight is reduced.

Please ensure no other items are placed in your green garden waste bin, including but not limited to: Soil and compost. Turf. Animal and pet bedding including straw and sawdust.

You should also use your green bin for garden waste like: grass, hedge and shrub cuttings. leaves and weeds. plants and flowers.

What you can not put in your bin. Things that you cannot put in your garden waste bin include: plastic bags of any kind - plastic carrier bags and plastic sacks (not black) can be recycled in your green recycling bin. metal, glass, plastic, cardboard or paper - some of these can be recycled in your green recycling bin.

What can't go in my green bin. Some tea bags contain PFA chemicals (a special coating to resist water breaking them apart) and some are made from plastic/mesh. As a result tea bags are not recyclable. However, loose tea leaves can go in your green bin.

Know what to compost

Green materials include fruit and vegetable scraps, used tea, coffee grounds, crushed eggshells, grass clippings, green plant cuttings, old flowers and many weeds. Brown materials are things like straw, paper and cardboard, dry leaves, woody prunings and sawdust (but not from treated wood).

It can be used as a soil improver, mulch, topsoil constituent, turf dressing, and growing medium constituent.

With many general waste bins shrinking in size, this makes them ill-suited for handling large or bulky items like wood.

Food – You can feed your worms most fruit and vegetables scraps, coffee grounds and paper filters, crushed eggshells, paper tea bags without staples, and crushed eggshells. Avoid citrus fruits, odorous foods like onions and garlic, meat, dairy products, greasy foods, bones, and pet waste.