Brown bin

What goes in your brown bin?

Brown wheelie bin

Your brown bin is for the collection of garden waste.

Yes

  • Flowers and plants
  • Grass clippings
  • Hedge trimmings
  • Garden weeds
  • Leaves
  • Small branches (a maximum of 6 inches in length and 2 inches in diameter)
  • Rabbit, guinea pig or other vegetarian pet hutch waste

No

  • General refuse
  • Plastic bags or bin liners
  • Cat, dog or pigeon waste
  • Foodstuff (including fruit and vegetable peelings)
  • Stones, gravel, slabs, rubble or hardcore
  • Sand or soil
  • Plant pots, seedling trays or plant labels 
  • Garden furniture or ornaments including gnomes, lights or fountains
  • Fence panels, posts or trellises
  • Chemicals or liquids including plant feed or weedkiller

Using your brown bin

  • Place waste directly in the bin. Do not use carrier bags or bin liners.
  • Make sure the lid closes fully. This allows the vehicle to lift and empty your bin safely. 
  • Don't overfill your bin. It must not be too heavy for us to move safely.
  • Your brown bin will be collected fortnightly from mid March until mid November.

Download your collection calendar

Employing a gardener

If you employ a gardener to do your garden, they should not use your brown bin and should instead take any waste to a licensed waste site. This includes grass clippings, prunings and hedge trimmings. This is because if you pay a gardener, the waste they produce is business waste, not household waste.

Excess garden waste

If you have a large quantity of garden waste or large items such as branches, trunks, soil or turf, please take your waste to one of our Household Waste Recycling Centres.

This waste can also be collected as part of our bulky uplift service. There will be a charge for this.

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